Remarks By Vice President Joe Biden and President Tarja Halonen Of Finland Upon The Conclusion Of Their Bilateral Meeting

Presidential Palace
Helsinki, Finland

11:25 A.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT HALONEN:  So once again, good morning to everybody.  I think that Vice President Biden has chosen a very, very good day to visit Finland because today marks the 100 years anniversary of the International Women's Day.  And I think that both -- you yourself, your wife and your granddaughter are very pleased at that.

So you already know that we all very warmly welcome you, Vice President Biden, to Finland.  Our discussions today have been fruitful, and I have a feeling that we have succeeded update quite many topical issues.  Of course, it was too short time, anyway.

But relations between Finland and the United States of America are excellent and the reason to support continuation of many contacts.  But as we have also said, the United States is an important partner for us -- for Finland, for Europe.  And I hope so that old friends have strong ties, and we could also be looking for new opportunities to cooperate.  Finland is committed to develop further our bilateral relations in all things -- I've already mentioned cultural cooperation, trade, investments, green economy, clean technologies.  I know you are interested in the welfare state system, health, education, gender -- whatever you mentioned earlier.

But we are a part of the -- part of the global system, the part of the world.  I already said that I felt very strongly when President Obama -- first time held a speech in the United States, General Assembly.  And I was witnessing him, and I had gained a feeling that it was a very, very welcome speech.  So I'm very pleased then with President Barack Obama and his administration.  You yourself have been placing more emphasis on the work done in the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.  We do need it.  We are very happy that your administration, including also Hillary Clinton, have taken very strong interest in women in all speeches and always done in security -- and everywhere.

So the United States and Europe have worked hard for democracy, human rights and the rule of law and people decide what is values is very strong. 

We spoke also of the recent events in Northern Africa and in Libya, particularly.  And there are signs that the international community is quite unanimous on that, that the will of the people should be that what we are hoping for, not giving the possibilities only for those who have very strong military and many forces.

So both the humanitarian situation and also the grasp for the stability of the -- are on our mind.  And I give it more for you how you feel about Northern Africa. 

Finland and United States have worked side by side in many crises, humanitarian operations and I think that we have a respect for both sides concerning Afghanistan and also many other countless systems. 

Finland is not a member of NATO, but an acting Partnership for Peace country, such as Sweden, Austria and Ireland, for example.  And we share -- both a responsibility in many ways -- to work.  So -- for the -- it's for the Afghans for themselves -- democracy, the rule of law and the respect of human rights, including the rights of women and the girls.  But as we discussed Afghanistan, we left all -- the crisis of -- so what has been committed is past, but looking forward to speak more for the sustainable development of the global work and for both of our countries.  So I do hope so that we can find those ways how to combine stable economic growth, social justice and ecologically sustainable development.  We will have a good -- with our governments, with a lot of the good ministers.

To the media I would say that it's not only the President and the Prime Minister in Finland who are women, but -- aside my job, in the government, there are also ladies.  

And what the world is needing, more women -- but also more progressive men because it's not -- having lots of those.  So, Mr. Biden, you are most welcome.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, thank you, Madam President.  I apologize for -- we kept the press a little bit.  I would prefer that I had a whole day to spend with the President.  I notice a couple of you remarking that we keep smiling and laughing.  There's a whole lot of reasons for that.  Most of all it's based on how comfortable the President has made me feel and all our countrymen.

Our ambassador was -- who we're very proud of -- was saying nothing but good things about his stay here in Finland and about you, Madam President.

And we have agreed -- I've invited the President, if she has the time when she's in the States, I'd like to take her up on her offer to spend more time with me because there's so much more that we have to talk about.  It's great to be back here in Helsinki.  This is an absolutely beautiful capital with a very, very long history of very important contributions to international affairs.

It seems like yesterday -- I know you're not old enough to remember but I remember as a U.S. senator the Helsinki Accords and how --

PRESIDENT HALONEN: We are exactly the same age.  (Laughter.)  Both 68 years old.  (Laughter.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  But seriously when you think about how the world has changed, how it's changed so remarkably.  And I would mark the Helsinki Accords as one of those moments when the tides of history really began to move.  And Finland remains in the forefront of a range of global challenges.

The President was very complimentary about the remarks of the address of my President to the General Assembly, and I was telling her that the President and I -- but the President feels very strongly that it's not sufficient that America exercises a leadership role merely by the example of its power, but by the power of our example -- not just by the example of our power, but the power of our example.

And we understand fully and welcome the fact that this is a world in which no one nation has the capacity to change the course of history for the better.  Some have the capacity to change it for the worse, but no one nation has the capacity to change it for the better. 

The American people and the people of Finland enjoy a strong and very enduring relationship, reflecting of the fact that we've often stood shoulder-to-shoulder in responding to global crises, as we continue to do.  And in that vein, I want to thank the President for her recent trip to the Middle East, which continued to demonstrate Finland's commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and her visit to Afghanistan.  We almost were there the exact same day.

PRESIDENT HALONEN:  Yes, it was.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I think we missed by a day or two.

I have made multiple visits to Afghanistan, and yet we found that our assessment was fairly consistent as to where we stand at the moment, and we have been standing, quite frankly, side-by-side in the International Security Assistance Force. In Mazar-e-Sharif, the Fins and the Swedes have done a great, great job, and we appreciate them very, very much.

In fact, as I said, we had a very similar view about the commitment that was taken -- and by the way, Finland has been just a great and critical partner also in unleashing economic potential, new technologies in combating climate change, in combating nuclear proliferation and in a responsible search -- I emphasize a responsible search -- for resources in the Arctic region, which we look to Finland's leadership and example.

And innovation, as we both discussed, is the key -- is the key to the future -- and Finland has been a renowned global leader in that department fueled by a truly world-class system of public education, which I also sought some input -- didn't have enough time really to talk about it more -- but I hope when the President is in New York, you may be able to come to Washington -- about the great success of your public education system, which is of the highest priority for President Obama and me in the United States.

And by the way, as a hockey fan, Madam President, my wife Jill, who is truly a rabid, as we say in the vernacular at home -- a rabid hockey fan -- a Philadelphia Flyers fan, we are so happy to -- a number of the contributions made by the Finnish people to the National Hockey League.  (Laughter.)  And in fact, as a Philadelphia Flyers fan, my wife pointed to me that Kimmo just -- Timonen just scored his 100th goal this weekend in the National Hockey League.  (Laughter.)  Although, it was in a losing endeavor for the Philadelphia Flyers, but we expect a great deal from him as a defenseman.  And we expect that when he -- when the Flyers win the Stanley Cup, maybe they'll let him bring it home to show it everyone here.

PRESIDENT HALONEN:  So speaking about the ice hockey, so I spoke a lot about the good neighborhood relations with Sweden and Russia.  But you can forget them all concerning ice hockey.  (Laughter.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  President Obama has said many times, Madam President, the United States supports a strong and united Europe so that together -- together -- we can face and meet the extraordinary challenges and seize the extraordinary opportunities of our time.

We are extremely grateful, and I mean this sincerely that Finland shares our vision of a robust transatlantic relationship.  And we also thank you for all you've done to make that relationship real and make it thrive.

Let me conclude by saying that it seems only fitting to be here in Helsinki on International Women's Day.  It is not hyperbole to suggest that Finland has been a leader in the world -- in the world -- a pioneer when it comes to women having the right to an equal -- equal -- place in society.  And I believe that to be the single greatest moral imperative of our time.  And I mean that literally. 

Now, it's easy for me to say that here on International Women's Day, but the American press that's here -- whether they would agree or not, they can tell you that I've spent the bulk of my career as a United States senator and as Vice President promoting women's rights.  I was the author of, in our case, a landmark piece of legislation called the Violence Against Women Act.  Senator Lugar and I as senators, and now as Vice President, we're trying to promote the International Violence Against Women Act.  And we also -- I will tell you, if you excuse me, as we used to say in the Senate, Madam President, the U.S. Senate, this is a point of personal privilege.  I told you this story, but I'm going to tell it.  My staff is going, oh, God, what is he going to say.  (Laughter.)

But last night, sitting in the Government House with my 12, almost 13-year-old granddaughter and my wife, who is a doctor and a professor at a college, a community college.  My wife was saying how great it was that you were president, and there is a women prime minister.  And my little 12-year-old chimed up from the couch and said, "And, Pop, 40 percent of their congress" -- she calls it, their parliament -- "of their congress is women.  Isn't that great!"  (Laughter.)  That's my 12-year-old granddaughter.

And so I just want you to know the leadership of Finland has not gone unnoticed.  And we look to Finland for the example that sets -- we were -- what we were laughing about as we were walking in is, we were exchanging stories about our mothers.  And my mother would occasionally quote an old proverb which says that, women hold up half the sky.  Women hold up half the sky.

In my household, they hold up two-thirds of the sky.  All kidding aside, the single most civic-significant thing we can do in the 21st century to impact on the prospect of peace and security is to educate more women -- to have women, particularly in other parts of the less developed world have equal access to opportunity.

As you remember, Madam President, the U.N. sponsored a study on the Muslim world, the Arab world and said the most significant -- they were Arab scholars, Muslim scholars -- the single most significant thing that could happen would be to liberate women in that part of the world.  I'm here to also pay tribute to the leadership, the incredible leadership of Finland in that regard.  And if there's any nation in which I can stand on the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, this is the most appropriate place to stand, and you're the most appropriate person to stand with.

Thank you. 

END          

11:41 A.M. (Local)

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard During a Classroom Visit

Wakefield High School
Arlington, Virginia

11:52 A.M. EST
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hey, guys!  How are you?  Good to see you.  Nice to see you.
 
Well, the -- it is wonderful to be back at Wakefield.  Some of you remember I was here a couple of years ago, right?  It was a year and a half ago?  I know I had less gray hair the last time I was here.  (Laughter.)
 
     We wanted to stop by because we have a very special guest here today.  But before I do that, I just want to say -- I’m assuming you guys are all aware that this is Ms. Fraley’s birthday.  
 
     STUDENTS:  Yes.
 
     Q    Can we sing Happy Birthday?
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Should we sing Happy Birthday?  (Applause.)
 
     So let’s -- I’ll kick us off.  
 
     (Class sings Happy Birthday.)  (Applause.)
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  For those of you in the back, you should know that Ms. Fraley was selected as one of the Virginia Teachers of the Year.  So we’re very proud of that.  I was just talking to her.  It turns out that she’s been teaching now for 10 years.  Before she was teaching, she was a journalist.  So she decided to make a change and get into something useful.  (Laughter.)  I couldn’t resist.  I couldn’t resist.
 
     Now, for our real order of business here, we have a wonderful special guest.  This is Prime Minister Julia Gillard.  She has come all the way from Australia.  She will be addressing a joint session of Congress, which is a very unique honor.  Few heads of state get the privilege of addressing a joint session of Congress.  But the reason that she’s been asked to do this is because we have as close of an alliance with Australia as any country in the world.  We have a shared democracy.  We have shared values.  Their football is a little different than ours.  (Laughter.)
 
     But there are very few countries where we’ve got such a close bond and such a unique bond.  And that dates back for decades.  But it’s also manifest today where, for example, Australia is one of the leading coalition partners in Afghanistan, so our soldiers are fighting side by side.  We cooperate on a whole range of security issues and economic issues.  The reason we wanted to stop by a school was in part because Prime Minister Gillard used to be the minister of education in Australia.  So she takes a great interest in how our young people are developing and how we’re preparing them for the 21st-century economy.
 
     So we are thrilled to have her here.  Madam Prime Minister.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  I was saying to the President as we came here that I’ve been to a Washington school before, when I was in Washington and was taken to a school.  It was actually a primary school, much younger children.  And I was a few minutes into my address when one small boy turned to the small boy next to him and said, “Is she speaking English?”  (Laughter.)  So provided all of you understand me today, I’m going to count this as a success.
 
     But I thought I would come along today and just talk to you about Australia and actually start by asking you a few questions, a bit of a pop quiz about Australia.  You’re looking -- (laughter) --
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Don’t embarrass Ms. Fraley.  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  We’ve got some Australian journalists here, so if you can’t answer the questions then I’m sure they’ll be able to.  (Laughter.)
 
     Anybody got any idea the population of Australia, how many people?  (Laughter.)  Just a guess.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Anybody want to take a stab?
 
     Q    Twenty-one million?
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Very close.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Very close.  Twenty-two million.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Do you have like an iPad over there?  (Laughter.)  That’s pretty impressive.  Good job.  All right.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Okay, what about size?  How big is it?   As big as America?
 
     Q    As big as the United States.
 
     Q    A little bit bigger?
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  A little bit bigger?
 
     Q    Oh, really?  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  No.  (Laughter.)  You’re giving us a little bit of extra terrain.
 
     Q    A little bit smaller.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  It’s a little bit -- there you go.  There are only two choices.  A little bit bigger or a little bit smaller.  (Laughter.)  
 
     Q    Maybe exactly the same.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  No, it’s about 20 percent less in size than America.  But 20 million people, 20 percent less in size.  So that’s worth knowing.  Who knows anything about Australian-rules football?
 
     Q    Ask him.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  You do?
 
     Q    I’ve watched a little bit.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  You’ve watched a little bit?  And what do you think?  Pretty tough guy?
 
     Q    It’s hard to understand.  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Okay.  I’ve been trying to describe it to the President.  It can be a bit hard to understand.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  She brought me an Australian football.  She was kicking it in my office.  (Laughter.)  Almost broke a bust of Lincoln.  It was really -- (laughter.)  That’s not true, guys.  Just making that up.  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Hand bowling in the office.  
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I don’t want to cause a diplomatic incident.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  We didn’t break anything –- we were hand bowling.  So has anybody got a question about Australia?  Yes.
 
     Q    My family and I have been wondering for a little while, what is Vegemite?  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Right.  (Laughter.)  This is also a little bit of a division between the President and I.  I love Vegemite, and --
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It’s horrible.  (Laughter.)
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  It’s actually a byproduct of making beer, apparently.  That’s how the story goes.  It’s a yeast paste.  I’m making this sound really good, aren’t I?  (Laughter.)  It’s black, and it’s quite salty.  The beginner’s error with Vegemite is to put too much on a piece of bread or piece of toast.  You don’t put it on like jam or anything like that.  You’ve got to do it very lightly, spread it very thinly.  And it’s good.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  So it’s like a quasi-vegetable-byproduct paste -- (laughter) -- that you smear on your toast for breakfast.  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  But we’ll get some sent over and you can have a try.  It’s addictive.  Once you’ve had some when you were small, you’ll crave it when you’re an adult.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All right.  Fair enough.
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  You’ve got to start eating it when you’re young, though.  Other Australian questions?  Yes.   
 
     Q    What’s the biggest difference between Australian schools and U.S. schools?  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  The biggest difference?  I think a lot of things are the same.  We’ve got about 9,500 schools in the country, so a lot less than here, which is what you would imagine.  I think the things that we study and the way that we benchmark standards are around about the same.  And one of the things we’re both trying to do, so President Obama is very focused on and I’m very focused on, is making sure the schools that haven’t been meeting the right national testing results are getting boosted up, because we don’t want disadvantaged students falling behind.
 
     So I think if you went to one of our schools you’d see a classroom pretty much like this one.
 
     Q    How has the flooding affected education and how kids get to school?
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Yes, it did stop kids going to school for a while, so we had the flooding right through Queensland and then we had the cyclone, which hit in North and Far North Queensland after that.  Some of the schools they brought back a few weeks late because kids couldn’t get to school -- the schools were flood damaged.  But people are getting back into it and back into normal life now.
 
     A lot of the schools acted as relief centers, so during the worst of the flooding that is where people could go to pick up food supplies or to see someone who might be able to help them with emergency cash or put them in contact with a counselor if they were finding the strain of it too much.  So schools were a real backbone.  But kids missed a few weeks of school.
 
     Some of the kids I talked to thought that wasn’t such a bad deal -- (laughter) -- missing a couple of weeks of school.  But everybody is getting back into it now.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Now, the flooding area was about the size of Texas -- is that right?  The amount of land that was covered by the floods?
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  It was huge.  We were -- the comparison we were doing was a bit like France and Germany, that kind of size, so a huge area.  And I had the opportunity to go up in the air and see it a few times, and just filthy floodwater, because floodwater is filthy, as far as the eye could see.  And it was a sort of rolling crisis, so we had flooding in places like Rockhampton, and then it came down to some small places like Dalby and Condamine.  So that was the first phase of it.  And then we had those very dangerous flash floods in Toowoomba and into the Lockyer Valley that cost people a lot of -- a lot of lives were lost because there was no warning.  And then Brisbane, which is one of our big cities, was flooded.  So we had a whole capital city closed down for a few days because of the flooding.
 
And then when we’d gotten through all of that, then we had a category 5 cyclone hit in the north and far north, and that caused a lot of devastation in places like Tully and Cardwell, which had been evacuated because the force of the cyclone was going to be so strong.  
 
     So it’s been a tough time, but Queenslanders particularly are resilient sorts.  They breed them pretty tough in Queensland, so they’re getting on with it and rebuilding.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Anybody else?
 
Q    Mr. President, when are you coming to Australia?  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I actually went to Australia.  Some of you know that when I was a kid I lived in Indonesia briefly for about four years.  And Indonesia is sort of in the same vicinity as Australia.  So when you fly -- back then, at least -- now there are probably more direct flights, but back then oftentimes you had to fly through Australia.  So I ended up having a chance to get to know Aussies when I was 8 years old.  And wonderful people -- and very similar to Americans in the sense that -- very open, very friendly -- partly because -- we were talking about this earlier -- they have a similar sort of frontier spirit.  There’s a lot of open space there, a lot of people who obviously migrated there -- some by choice, some --
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Some not so much.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Some not so much.  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Early convicts.  Not so much probably.  (Laughter.)
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  But -- so you have a similar openness, a great -- a premium on individualism and freedom.  So there’s a lot that binds our two countries together.
 
     Any other questions?  You guys can ask questions for me if you want.  (Laughter.)  
 
Q    Do you play basketball in Australia?
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  Yes, we do play basketball in Australia.  In fact, Secretary Duncan is over here -- your Secretary of Education --
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Arne Duncan.
 
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  -- and he played basketball in Australia.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Played professional basketball in Australia.
 
     SECRETARY DUNCAN:  I was the leading scorer for four years.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Were you the leading scorer in the league?  
 
     SECRETARY DUNCAN:  No.  (Laughter.)    
 
     PRESIDNET OBAMA:  Come on, Reggie.  I might have believed him.  He’s still got game, by the way.  (Laughter.)
 
     PRIME MINISTER GILLARD:  I went to a basketball game in Townsville earlier this year --they’re the Townsville Crocs.  So they come with a mascot which is a man in a crocodile suit.  And anything can happen when that mascot is there.  (Laughter.)  
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Anybody else?  Don’t be intimidated by these --
 
     Q    How many of these Presidents can you name around the room?  (Laughter.)
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That’s Lincoln.  (Laughter.)  And that’s Washington.
 
Q    You’re over there, in the back.
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  How’s that?
 
     Q    You’re over there.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Nice, nice.  So what have you guys been talking about in AP History class?  
 
Q    The ‘20s.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  The ‘20s?
 
Q    Yes.
 
Q    The Roaring ‘20s.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  What’s been the focus of the ‘20s, the Roaring ‘20s?
 
Q    Jazz.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Jazz.
 
Q    Prohibition.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Prohibition.  Has there been a debate in class about prohibition?
 
Q    Not quite.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All right.  What prompted all of you to take AP History?
 
Q    Ms. Fraley, of course.
 
Q    She’s a wonderful teacher.
 
Q    I love her.
 
     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Look at all these folks sucking up to her.  Good grief.  (Laughter.)     
 
END
12:06 P.M. EST

Remarks of Denis McDonough Deputy National Security Advisor to the President--As Prepared for Delivery

ADAMS Center
Sterling, Virginia

Partnering with Communities to Prevent Violent Extremism in America

As Prepared for Delivery—

Thank you, Imam Magid, for your very kind introduction and welcome.  I know that President Obama was very grateful that you led the prayer at last summer’s Iftar dinner at the White House—which, as the President noted, is a tradition stretching back more than two centuries to when Thomas Jefferson hosted the first Iftar at the White House.

Thank you, also, for being one of our nation’s leading voices for the values that make America so strong, especially religious freedom and tolerance.  Whether it’s here at the ADAMS Center, or as President of the Islamic Society of North America, you’ve spoken with passion and eloquence, not only about your own Islamic faith, but for the need to build bridges of understanding and trust between faiths.

That’s evident here today, in the presence of so many different faith communities—Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists.  The fact that we can come together in a spirit of respect and fellowship speaks to the bonds that we share, as people of faith and as Americans.

That’s why, on a very personal level, it’s such an honor to be with you today.  Sunday afternoons at a parish center – or a community center – is familiar territory for me.  I grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota in a proud Catholic family.  I am one of 11 kids, and I can think of countless Sunday afternoons like this one spent at festivals, games or meetings at our home parish of St. Mike’s or at the church of my older brother, who is a priest.

Like all of you and like me, millions of Americans find community, comfort and support in their faith.  That includes President Obama, drawing as he does on his Christian faith.  So today reminds us that being religious is never un-American. Being religious is quintessentially American.

In my life—working in government and studying and traveling in many parts of the world—I’ve also come to appreciate the diversity and richness of Muslim communities, here in America and abroad.  I accompanied then-Senator Obama when he traveled to the Middle East, including Israel and the West Bank, where he spoke to Israelis and Palestinians about the imperative of peace.  During the presidential campaign, I had the honor of meeting with Muslim American leaders and communities across the country, in places like Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home to the oldest mosque in America. 

Over the past two years, I—along with my White House colleagues—have benefited from the advice of many of your organizations through our Office of Public Engagement. Because, after all, your communities have the same concerns as all Americans—the economy, education, health care, the safety of our children and our country.  For example, this week at the White House, students from the Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities will join young people from across America for a conference with the President and First Lady to prevent bullying.   

I was privileged to join the President in Cairo, where he called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslim communities around the world.  And here at the ADAMS Center—with one of the largest mosques in America—you see the incredible racial and ethnic diversity of Islam.  And yet, as Imam Magid once explained, here you find common ground, as Americans.

So, for me, being here is not unlike going to St. Mike’s back home in Minnesota, or for that matter, going to any house of worship or community center in America.  This is a typically American place.  We just saw that in the wonderful program this afternoon, including the Boy Scouts presenting the American flag and leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

You see it in all the activities that occur here, just like in communities all across America—youth programs, sports, playgroups for moms and their young children, charitable programs, including help for the homeless.  This is a place where Americans come together—not only to practice their faith, but to build stronger communities, with people of many faiths.

Here in Virginia and across the country, Muslim Americans are our neighbors and fellow citizens.  You inspire our children as teachers.  You strengthen our communities as volunteers, often through interfaith projects, like the President’s “United We Serve” program.  You protect our communities as police officers and firefighters. 

You create jobs and opportunity as small business owners and executives of major corporations.  You enrich our culture as athletes and entertainers.  You lead us as elected officials and Members of Congress.  And no one should ever forget that Muslim Americans help keep America safe every day as proud Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Indeed, some of these heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and now rest in our hallowed national cemeteries.

That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to be here today.  It’s this very idea—the idea of America as a secure and pluralistic nation; as a society that doesn’t just accept diversity; but which is strengthened by it—this idea is more important than ever. 

Over the last several months and again later this month in New York City, John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, will continue to outline the steps we are taking—across our government—to keep America and our communities safe and secure, including from the threat of al Qaeda and its adherents.

I am here to talk with you about how our communities – your communities – contribute to keeping our country safe: specifically, as part of our approach to preventing the radicalization that leads to a range of threats here at home, including terrorism.  As the President’s Deputy National Security Advisor, I’ve been responsible, for more than a year, for coordinating and integrating our efforts across the federal government to help prevent violent extremism in the United States.  And today I want to discuss our approach, which we’ll be releasing publicly in the coming weeks. 

Preventing radicalization that leads to violence here in America is part of our larger strategy to decisively defeat al Qaeda.   Overseas, because of the new focus and resources that the President has devoted to this fight, the al Qaeda leadership in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan is hunkered down and it’s harder than ever for them to plot and launch attacks against our country.  Because we’re helping other countries build their capacity to defend themselves, we’re making it harder for al Qaeda’s adherents to operate around the world.

Here at home, we’ve strengthened our defenses, with improvements to intelligence and aviation screening and enhanced security at our borders, ports and airports.  As we’ve seen in recent attempted attacks, al Qaeda and its adherents are constantly trying to exploit any vulnerability in our open society.  But it’s also clear that our dedicated intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security personnel have disrupted many more plots and saved many American lives.

At the same time, we’re confronting the broader challenge of violent extremism generally—including the political, economic and social forces that can sometimes lead people to embrace al Qaeda’s murderous ideology.  This includes challenging and undermining the twisted ideology—the political propaganda—that al Qaeda uses to recruit, radicalize and mobilize its supporters to violence. 

Of course, the most effective voices against al Qaeda’s warped worldview and interpretation of Islam are other Muslims.  As the President said in Cairo, “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace.” Around the world, poll after poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject al Qaeda.  Many Muslim leaders around the world have loudly condemned al Qaeda and its murderous tactics and declared that it is a violation of Islam to murder innocent people.  They’ve spoken out at great risk to their lives, and some have lost their lives because of it. 

Still, President Obama recognizes that through our words and deeds we can either play into al Qaeda’s narrative and messaging or we can challenge it and thereby undermine it.  We’re determined to undermine it. 

For example, we know there are many different reasons why individuals—from many different faiths—succumb to terrorist ideologies.  And there is no one easy profile of a terrorist. But based on extensive investigations, research and profiles of the violent extremists we’ve captured or arrested, and who falsely claim to be fighting in the name of Islam, we know that they all share one thing—they all believe that the United States is somehow at war with Islam, and that this justifies violence against Americans.

So we are actively and aggressively undermining that ideology.  We’re exposing the lie that America and Islam are somehow in conflict.  That is why President Obama has stated time and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. 

On the contrary, we’ve strengthened alliances and partnerships with Muslim-majority nations around the world, from Turkey to Indonesia.  As a result of the President’s speech in Cairo, we’ve forged new partnerships with Muslim communities to promote entrepreneurship, health, science and technology, educational exchanges and opportunities for women.  In fact, the President insisted that his National Security Staff create a new office, a Global Engagement Directorate, to make these partnerships a priority.

We also undermine al Qaeda’s ideology by exposing the lie that it is somehow defending Islamic traditions when, in fact, al Qaeda violates the basic tenets of Islam.  The overwhelming majority of al Qaeda’s victims are Muslim.  In contrast to the ethics and accomplishments of the Islamic Golden Age—a period of scientific learning; networks of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish intellectuals and philosophers; advances in mathematics, agriculture, technology, and the arts—al Qaeda practices nothing but religious bigotry and glorifies suicide bombing.
We undermine al Qaeda’s ideology by showing that it is the power of nonviolence and democratic change that leads to progress, not senseless terrorism. And now people across the Arab world are proving the point. 
Consider this.  Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman Zawahiri, an Egyptian, has spent decades trying to overthrow the government of Egypt through terrorism.  But in just a few short weeks, it was the people of Egypt—men and women, young and old, secular and religious, Muslims and Christians—who came together and changed their government, peacefully.  It is the most dramatic change in the Arab world in decades, and al Qaeda had nothing to do with it.  And so President Obama made it a point to commend the Egyptian people and their embrace of “the moral force of nonviolence—not terrorism, not mindless killing.”
There’s another way that we expose and undermine the lies of al Qaeda’s ideology. They want Muslims around the world to think that the United States is somehow anti-Muslim—when, in fact, we embrace people of all faiths and creeds.  That is why President Obama has said repeatedly—“Islam is part of America.”  And that’s one of the reasons why this administration makes it a point—whether in the President’s speech in Cairo, at Iftars at the White House, in outreach by our federal agencies, or with my presence here today—to celebrate the extraordinary contributions that Muslim Americans make to our country every day.

For all these reasons—our stronger defenses at home; our progress against al Qaeda overseas; the rejection of al Qaeda by so many Muslims around the world; and the powerful image of Muslims thriving in America—al Qaeda and its adherents have increasingly turned to another troubling tactic: attempting to recruit and radicalize people to terrorism here in the United States. 

For a long time, many in the U.S. thought that our unique melting pot meant we were immune from this threat – this despite the history of violent extremists of all kinds in the United States.  That was false hope, and false comfort.  This threat is real, and it is serious.

How do we know this?  Well, al Qaeda tells us.  They’re not subtle. They make videos, create Internet forums, even publish online magazines, all for the expressed purpose of trying to convince Muslim Americans to reject their country and attack their fellow Americans. 

There’s Adam Gadahn, who grew up in California and now calls himself an al Qaeda spokesman.  There’s Anwar al-Awlaki, who was born in the United States and now exhorts Americans to violence from hiding in Yemen as part of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.  And there’s Omar Hammami, an Alabama native who joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia and uses rap and hip hop in an attempt to reach young Americans.

Sadly, these violent extremists have found a miniscule but receptive audience.  Fortunately, good intelligence, effective law enforcement, and community partnerships have allowed us to discover and thwart many of their plots before they could kill.  Examples include: Najibullah Zazi of Denver, who conspired to bomb the New York City subway; Daniel Patrick Boyd of North Carolina, and others, who conspired to murder U.S. military personnel; and individuals who planned to bomb buildings in Illinois and Texas.  Over the past two years, dozens of American citizens have been arrested and charged with terrorism counts. 

Tragically, other plots were not prevented, among them: the murder of 13 innocent Americans at Fort Hood; David Headley, of Chicago, who helped to plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India; and Faisal Shazad, who packed an SUV with explosives and attempted to detonate it in Times Square. 

Of course, disrupting plots is dealing with this threat at the back end, after individuals have succumbed to violent extremism.  Our challenge, and the goal that President Obama has insisted that we also focus on, is on the front end—preventing al Qaeda from recruiting and radicalizing people in America in the first place.  And we know this isn’t the job of government alone.  It has to be a partnership with you—the communities being targeted most directly by al Qaeda.

I work with President Obama every day.  He’s been focused on this since he took office.  Behind closed doors, he has insisted that his national security team make this a priority. The effort that I’ve been leading is a policy committee made up of deputy secretaries from departments and agencies across government.  We meet regularly to consider new policy, drawing not only on the expertise of our traditional national security agencies, but also the departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

In our review of the Fort Hood attack, we deepened our understanding of the tactics that extremists like al-Awlaki use to push people toward violence, as well as how an individual becomes radicalized.  The President’s National Security Strategy, released last year, stated, “Our best defenses against this threat are well-informed and equipped families, local communities, and institutions.”  

Indeed, senior administration officials—including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder, and John Brennan—have met with and engaged many of your organizations.  Many of you have approached the administration offering to help, and you’ve worked with us to help prevent terrorists from targeting your communities.

Most recently, in the State of the Union, the President summed up our approach this way. “As extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders,” he said, “we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that Muslim Americans are a part of our American family.”  

With the time I have left I want to address three aspects of our approach: how we think about and see this challenge; the principles that are guiding our efforts; and what we’re actually doing, in partnership with your communities.

How are we in government thinking about this challenge?  After years of experience, we have a better understanding, not only of how terrorist recruiters try to radicalize people, but how we can reduce the chances that they will succeed.  

We know, for example, that not unlike gang lords and drug dealers, terrorist recruiters prey on those who feel disillusioned or disconnected from their family, community or country.  They target individuals who are perhaps struggling with their identity, suggesting to them that their identities as an American and as a Muslim are somehow incompatible and that they must choose between their faith and their country.

But we also know that this is a false choice and that it fails to resonate with individuals when they have the strong support of their families and communities; when they have faith in their ability to achieve change through the political process; and when they feel that they, too, have a chance to realize the American Dream.

In other words, we know, as the President said, that the best defense against terrorist ideologies is strong and resilient individuals and communities.  This should be no surprise.  In America we have a long history of community-based initiatives and partnerships dealing successfully with a whole range of challenges, like violent crime.

And we know something else—that just as our words and deeds can either fuel or undermine violent extremism abroad, so too can they here at home. 

We have a choice. We can choose to send a message to certain Americans that they are somehow “less American” because of their faith or how they look; that we see their entire community as a potential threat—as we’ve seen in several inexcusable incidents in recent weeks across the country that were captured on video.  Well, those incidents do not represent America.  And if we make that choice, we risk feeding the very feelings of disenchantment that may push some members of that community to violent extremism. 

Or, we can make another choice. We can send the message that we’re all Americans.  That’s the message that the President conveyed last summer when he was discussing Muslim Americans serving in our military and the need to honor their service.  “Part of honoring their service, he said, “is making sure that they understand that we don’t differentiate between them and us.  It’s just us.” 

Informed by what we know, several basic principles must guide us in what we do—as individuals, as communities and as a country.  We must resolve not to label someone as an extremist simply because of their opposition to the policies of the U.S. government or their strong religious beliefs.  Under our Constitution, we have the freedom to speak our minds.  And we have the right to practice our faiths freely knowing that the government should neither promote nor hinder any one religion over the other.   

As such, we must resolve to protect the rights and civil liberties of every American.  That’s why, under President Obama, the civil rights division at the Justice Department is devoting new energy and effort to its founding mission—protecting civil rights.  It’s why we are vigorously enforcing new hate crimes laws.  And it’s why even as we do everything in our power to protect the American people from terrorist attacks, we’re also doing everything in our power to uphold civil liberties.

We must resolve that, in our determination to protect our nation, we will not stigmatize or demonize entire communities because of the actions of a few.  In the United States of America, we don’t practice guilt by association. And let’s remember that just as violence and extremism are not unique to any one faith, the responsibility to oppose ignorance and violence rests with us all. 
  
In the wake of terrorist attacks, instead of condemning whole communities, we need to join with those communities to help them protect themselves as well.  And if one faith community faces intimidation, we need to come together across faiths, as happened several years ago here at the ADAMS Center, when Christian and Jewish leaders literally stood guard overnight to protect this center from vandalism.  You showed us the true meaning of e pluribus unum—out of many, one.

Let’s resolve that efforts to protect communities against violent extremists must be led by those communities.  Indeed, we’re fortunate that Muslim Americans, including organizations represented here today, have taken an unequivocal stand against terrorism.

Islamic scholars have issued fatwas declaring terrorism as un-Islamic. Like Muslim American communities across the country, the ADAMS Center has consistently and forcefully condemned terrorist attacks.  And not only here in the United States.  You’ve condemned terrorism around the world against people of other faiths, including Christians and Jews.  In so doing, you’ve sent a message that those who perpetrate such horrific attacks do not represent you or your faith, and that they will not succeed in pitting believers of different faiths against one another.

After the attack at Fort Hood, Muslim Americans reached out to offer sympathy and support to the victims and their families.  Across the country, Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities have held conferences and launched awareness campaigns to address the challenge of radicalization that leads to violence.  Imam Magid is among the many Muslim leaders who have been recognized by the Director of the FBI for their efforts to strengthen cooperation between Muslim communities and law enforcement.

To counter the propaganda videos from the likes of al-Awlaki, Imam Magid even joined with other clerics and scholars to make their own videos, which have gone viral, explaining that Islam preaches peace, not violence.  Most Americans never hear about these efforts, and, regrettably, they’re rarely covered by the media. But they’re going on every day—and they’re helping to keep our country safe.

In fact, many of the incidents and arrests that do make headlines are because of the good citizenship and patriotism of Muslim Americans who noticed something and spoke up.  Since the September 11th attacks, a number of individuals inspired by al Qaeda’s ideology and involved in supporting or plotting terrorism were stopped, in part, because of the vigilance of members of local communities, including Muslim Americans.

That’s why Lee Baca, the Sheriff in Los Angeles County—which has one of the largest Muslim communities in the country—has said that Muslim Americans “have been pivotal in helping to fight terrorism.”  And it’s why Attorney General Holder has said that cooperation from Muslim Americans and Arab Americans “has been absolutely essential in identifying and preventing, terrorist threats.” 

The bottom line is this—when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you’re part of the solution.

We also believe in another principle—that no community can be expected to meet a challenge as complex as this alone.  No one community can be expected to become experts in terrorist organizations, how they are evolving, how they are using new tools and technologies to reach young or impressionable minds.  And that’s where government can play a role.

Which leads me to the final area that I want to address today—our approach at the federal level, in partnership with communities.  Broadly speaking, we’re working along five areas of effort.

First, we’re constantly working to improve our understanding of the process of radicalization that leads people to terrorism—because the more we understand it, the more we can do to stop it.  As I said, we’ve learned a great deal about the factors that make individuals susceptible to extremist ideologies and violence.  Our success in disrupting so many plots is a testament to this.  But with al Qaeda and its adherents constantly evolving and refining their tactics, our understanding of the threat has to evolve as well.

So we’re devoting extensive resources and expertise to this, including entire analytic units at the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center.  We have a new senior intelligence official focused full-time on radicalization that leads to violence.  And we’re constantly working with Congress, academic and research institutions, as well as foreign governments, to gain a more precise understanding of this challenge and how to address it.

Second, equipped with this information, we’ve expanded our engagement with local communities that are being targeted by terrorist recruiters.  The departments of Homeland Security and Justice have created new advisory groups, instituted regular outreach sessions, and held dozens of roundtables across the country.  It’s all been with the goal of listening to your communities, sharing information on how al Qaeda attempts to recruit and radicalize, and answering the question so many communities have asked us—what can we do to protect our young people?
 
But we’ve also recognized that this engagement can’t simply be about terrorism.  We refuse to “securitize” the relationship between the government and millions of law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans and other citizens.  We refuse to limit our engagement to what we’re against, because we need to forge partnerships that advance what we’re for—which is opportunity and equal treatment for all. 

So other departments, like Health and Human Services and Education, have joined with communities to better understand and address the social, emotional and economic challenges faced by young people so they can realize their full potential in America. And our U.S. Attorneys are leading a new coordinated federal effort to deepen our partnerships with communities on a host of issues. Because we don’t just want to keep our young people from committing acts of violence, we want them to help build our country.

Third, based on this engagement, we’re increasing the support we offer to communities as they build their own local initiatives.  Every community is unique, and our enemy—al Qaeda—is savvy.  It targets different communities differently.  So we’re working to empower local communities with the information and tools they need to build their own capacity to disrupt, challenge and counter propaganda, in both the real world and the virtual world. 

Where the federal government can add value, we’ll offer it.  But often times, the best expertise and solutions for a community will be found in that community—in the local organizations, institutions and businesses that understand the unique challenges of that community.  Technology experts in the private sector, for instance, can share tools to counter terrorist narratives and recruiting on the Internet.  In those instances, the federal government will use our convening power to help communities find the partnerships and resources they need to stay safe.

Fourth, because the federal government cannot and should not be everywhere, we’re expanding our coordination with state and local governments, including law enforcement, which work directly with communities every day.  We are in close collaboration with local governments, like Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio, and we’re drawing on their best practices.  We recognize, as Secretary Napolitano has said, that “homeland security begins with hometown security.” 

But we also recognize that while local officials have the best and deepest understanding of the challenges facing individuals, groups and families in their communities, they also have limited knowledge of al Qaeda and its tactics.  We have therefore developed and expanded training for law enforcement, counter-terrorism fusion centers, and state officials.  We’re putting a new emphasis on training to help officials better understand and relate to a diverse range of community partners.  In fact, in just the past five months alone, DHS has offered this sort of training to more than 1,000 law enforcement and other government personnel across the country.

Finally, we’re working to improve how we communicate with the American people about the threat of violent extremism in this country and what we’re doing to address it—because we cannot meet this challenge if we do not see it for what it is, and what it is not.  This includes dispelling the myths that have developed over the years, including misperceptions about our fellow Americans who are Muslim. 

Put simply, we must do exactly what al Qaeda is trying to prevent.  We must come together, as Americans, to protect our country in a spirit of respect, tolerance and partnership.  That is the message I hope to leave with you today.  And that is the message that President Obama has delivered, and will continue to deliver, throughout his presidency.

As he said in a speech at West Point last year, al Qaeda and its supporters “will continue to recruit, and plot, and exploit our open society.”  But, he went on to say, “We need not give in to fear every time a terrorist tries to scare us. We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them. We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart. We are the United States of America.”

Thank you all very much and thank you for all that you do to enrich and protect this country that we all love.

Remarks by the President at DSCC Reception at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami, Florida

Fontainebleau Resort
Miami, Florida

5:44 P.M. EST

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fired up!

THE PRESIDENT: Fired up! (Applause.) Hello, Miami! (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, we can. (Applause.) I am so pleased to be here in the Sunshine State. (Applause.) First of all, part of the reason I'm happy to be here is because I've got a great friend, you’ve got a great friend, one of the finest senators in the United States Senate -- Bill Nelson is here. (Applause.)

And although she comes from far away, you should know that she is working for working people and veterans and teachers and students all across the country -- we are so proud of Patty Murray of the great state of Washington. Give Patty Murray a big round of applause. (Applause.)

And in addition, one of the newest members of Congress -- Frederica Wilson is here. Where’s that hat? (Applause.) Where’s that hat? There she is.

It is nice to be back in sunny Florida. I wish I could stay for the weekend.

AUDIENCE: Stay! Stay!

THE PRESIDENT: You think? You think?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes, you can! (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know I want to stay. But if Michelle found out that I stayed in Miami -- (laughter) -- and didn’t bring her along, I'd be in trouble. So I've got to go home tonight. But I have the sneaking suspicion I'm going to be back down here one or two times over the next couple years. (Applause.)

Now, I realize this is a Democratic event. And there are going to be times when we're among family, we're among Democrats, where we want to talk about being Democrats. But today I want to talk to you a little bit about being an American. I want to talk about those things that bring us together, as opposed to the things that drive us apart.

And I just came from visiting the students and teachers at Miami Central High School. (Applause.) The Rockets. State champions in football. I saw some of the football team -- they were huge. (Laughter.) What are you all feeding these people down here? (Laughter.) I mean, they were big.

But I was there with former Governor Jeb Bush.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, no, now. (Laughter.) I know this is not a name you often hear at Florida Democratic fundraisers. (Laughter.) But even though Governor Bush and I disagree on a range of issues, we agree on the importance of education to America and the need to reform our schools. And what we saw, together, at Miami Central was pretty inspiring. I mean, keep in mind more than a decade ago this is a school that scored a D on state exams in its first five years, an F in its second five years. One of the buildings was called the Fish Bowl because it would always flood. And only a third of the students said they felt safe at school.

And for years there’s been a fight in Washington about how do you fix schools like this. And there are thousands of them across the country. And there are some folks in our party that said, well, all you need is just to put more money in there. And then there were others who said, it’s all about trying to blame the teachers, money didn’t matter. And then there were others who just thought, you know what, a situation like Miami Central is hopeless; we should just give up on those kids and focus on places where you’ve got a stronger foundation.

But then something happened. It was fascinating to watch -- as I was talking to community members and parents and teachers -- suddenly everybody decided, you know what, we're not going to allow the school to fail any longer. And so you had parents and alumni who rushed in and started setting up mentorship programs. And you had teachers who decided, you know what, we are going to buckle down and raise our game. And you had a new principal who said, I've got high expectations for everybody. And then you had business leaders and community members who started putting in money and setting up after-school programs and Saturday programs and all kinds of extracurricular activities. And you had students who said, we are not going to allow this school to close.

And so they started making sure that there were outstanding school leaders and outstanding teachers in every classroom. They brought in math and science coaches to support their teachers. They started a parent academy to make sure that parents were actively engaged in their child’s education -- because we all know that responsibility begins at home.

All this happened because the community wasn’t afraid of reform. And now, although Miami Central is still facing its share of challenges, over the past five years their performance has skyrocketed. I wanted to make sure I get this right -- increased their math scores by more than 60 percent, their writing performance by more than 40 percent. Graduation rates went from 36 percent to 63 percent. (Applause.) Right? This is a 90-percent minority school, in a low-income area, performing in a high level and on their way to perform even higher.

And I tell this story because making this kind of progress isn’t easy, but it’s proof that it’s possible. It’s proof that it’s possible. It’s still possible for us to tackle tough problems in a constructive way. We don't have to be calling each other names. It doesn’t have to be an ideological battle each and every time. Every once in a while common sense can prevail. We can make some decisions not on behalf of power or money or self-interest, but because it’s the right thing to do. Every once in a while that can still happen. Every once in a while it’s still possible to do big things by working together.

Now, part of the reason we're all here is because we intend to win the next election. (Applause.) We believe in our vision for the future. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win. (Laughter.) We wouldn’t be involved if we didn’t think we had better ideas.

But each of us who wants to serve the public also has a responsibility that goes beyond winning elections. We have a responsibility to future generations. And that’s especially true during challenging times.

In a world that’s more competitive and more connected than ever before, the biggest contest we face is not between Democrats and Republicans; it’s between the United States and our workers and our businesses and our economy and our competitors around the world. If we want the new jobs, we want the new businesses investing right here in the United States of America, then we’ve got to make sure that America is the best place to do business. That means we’ve got to have the best schools, and the best-trained workers. (Applause.) We’ve got to have a commitment to science and technology and invest in basic research. (Applause.) We need the best roads and the best runways. And yes, we could use some faster trains. (Applause.) And Internet connections. That, by the way, has bipartisan support, I understand, here in the great state of Florida. (Applause.) Just a little editorial there. (Laughter.) But we need it to move people, goods and information as fast as possible. We’ve got to out-educate, we’ve got to out-innovate, we’ve got to out-build, we’ve got to out-hustle our competitors.

Now, there are folks in Washington who are saying we can’t afford to make these investments because of the tough fiscal situation that we’re in. Look, we understand the tough situation we’re in. Patty, Bill, they understand the tough fiscal situation we’re in. And if I recall, the last time we had a balanced budget, who was President? Okay. I mean, I -- just wondering. (Laughter.)

So we understand fiscal responsibility. We’ve got to get serious about our deficits. I said so when I was running for President, and I say so today. That’s why I introduced a budget that would freeze domestic spending for five years. It would bring annual domestic spending down to the lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was President. That means since most of you were not alive -- (laughter) -- most of you. (Laughter.) I’m not naming names. (Laughter.) It will bring our deficit down by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. One trillion dollars.

So I am absolutely committed to working to get our deficit under control. I don’t want to be facing Malia and Sasha 20 years from now, my grandchildren, and them saying, gosh, Dad, you really didn’t take care of business. (Laughter.) We’re feeling bad about all this debt that we’re having to pay off because you weren’t on the job. I know Bill feels the same way; Patty feels exactly the same way. I am willing to cut whatever spending we can’t afford. What I’m not willing to do is to cut back on the basic investments that are going to allow us to win the future. I’m not willing to do that. (Applause.) I’m not willing to cut back on education. I’m not willing to cut back on science and technology and innovation. I’m not willing to cut back on infrastructure. We need those things to win the future of America. (Applause.)

You know, folks talk about if we don’t rein in our deficits, then we’ll mortgage our future. They’re right about that. But there’s more than one way to mortgage your future. If we’re shortchanging our commitment to education, our commitment to those kids that I met at Miami Central, then we’re mortgaging our future. If we’re sacrificing our commitment to research and development, the product -- the results of which led to GPS and led to the Internet and led to computer chips -- if we’re not making those investments, we are mortgaging our future.

If we refuse to invest in our crumbling roads and bridges and the ports and airports; if we settle for a world where China now suddenly has the fastest trains, Singapore has a nicer airport, what happened? America used to have the best stuff. We used to have the best roads, the best bridges, the best ports, the best airports. We don’t, oftentimes, in a lot of places. But we can. It’s a matter of us making good decisions and investing in our future. There’s more than one way to mortgage our future. And I refuse to let that happen.

And here’s the other point: These investments have traditionally been nonpartisan. I mean, think about it. My favorite Republican, Abraham Lincoln -- happens to be from my home state, but he was a pretty good President, last I checked. (Applause.) He was a guy who invested in the interstate -- in the intercontinental railroad, and in land grant colleges, and in the National Academy of Sciences -- in the middle of the Civil War. That’s how important he thought these investments were. This is at a time when he was scrambling to figure out how to finance a war that might split the union. And yet he was still making these investments. That’s how important it was.

When Dwight Eisenhower decided, after having won -- helped to win World War II and came back as President, obviously this was a guy who was pretty concerned about the well-being of America, had made quite a bit of sacrifice. What did he decide to do? He said, part of what we have to do is we’ve got to invest in the Interstate Highway System and we’ve got to invest in math and science all across this country. Because he understood that’s how you win the future.

I believe we can find common ground. I believe that we can have a government that lives within its means without sacrificing that future for our kids. And to do that we’re going to have to compromise. Each side is going to have to give a little bit. Everybody is not going to get everything they want. And I have to say that to Democrats sometimes. (Laughter.) You know, everybody gets frustrated sometimes. Over the last couple of years -- well, you know, yes, you got health care done, but I don’t know, I had this provision in there that didn’t quite make it; or, yes, we were able to make sure that we ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but what -- (applause) -- but what took you so long? You know who you are.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s okay, we’re good now -- sorry. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: But here’s the thing. The American people want us to work together. They want us to make progress. I’m proud that Democrats and Republicans joined forces in December to cut taxes for every American on their payroll -- on their payroll taxes -- and allowed businesses to accelerate investment, because we need to spur growth. And we’re starting to see the results. This last jobs report that just came out today, 220,000 new jobs; unemployment rate down below 9 percent, the lowest it’s been in two years. (Applause.) We’re moving in the right direction. But part of that was because we were able to make some common-sense decisions. And you’ve got a couple of common-sense people up here. These are folks who understand our job is to get stuff done for the American people.

Now, we know there's a lot more work to do. There are still millions of Americans who don't have work. Here in Florida there are hundreds of thousands of folks who are still worried about losing their home. And obviously the housing market really got socked here in Florida. So we’ve got more work to do. But we have an opportunity to keep building on our momentum. And the only way we’re going to do that is by working together, just like we did last December. And that's the spirit we need right now.

In the coming months we’re going to have a choice. We can allow ourselves to be consumed by the same kind of small-bore politics that's held us back before. We can allow gridlock and stalemate to prevail. We can focus on what the other side is saying about the other. (Laughter.) Or we can focus on what they’re saying about me. (Laughter.)

Q We love you!

THE PRESIDENT: I know you do. (Laughter and applause.)

Or instead we can focus on what it takes to win the future -- (applause) -- for as difficult as these times may be, the good news is that the future of America still looks bright.

I’ve seen it in the eyes of the students at Miami Central. I saw it in a small town company in Wisconsin that's putting hundreds of people to work making energy-efficient lighting. I’ve seen it up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This is as a remote a place as you can be -- 20,000 people in this town of Marquette, Michigan up in the Upper Peninsula -- above Canada. It kind of -- you know, Michigan kind of goes up. And because the school had set up the Internet system, a wireless system, and then allowed businesses to use it, you’ve got the local family-owned department store that is selling two-thirds of its goods online and is now one of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in America, because of investments that were made in the Internet.

I went out to Pacific Northwest to Intel out in Oregon and I watched us making magical progress in terms of computer chips; chips that were this big that used to require an entire main frame the size of this room to contain the same amount of information. That's being created right here in the United States of America.

We still have the best universities on Earth. We’ve got the best workers, the most productive workers on Earth. We’ve got the most entrepreneurial spirit on Earth. (Applause.)

We are constantly willing to adapt and change. We’ve got the greatest freedoms on Earth. (Applause.) We’ve got the diversity that is the hallmark of this 21st century. And no place represents that more than the Sunshine State. (Applause.)

So we’ve got what it takes to create more jobs. We’ve got what it takes to create more businesses. We know what it takes to win the future. We’ve just got to have the political will to make it happen.

We’ve got to be fired up. We’ve got to be ready to go. And so if you are willing to stand with us, if you’re willing to stand with Bill Nelson and Frederica and Patty, if you’re willing to stand with Barack Obama one more time -- (applause) -- I’ve got no doubt that we will win the future and that future will be bright.

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

END
6:05 P.M. EST