Remarks by the President to the AFL-CIO Executive Council

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Washington, D.C.

11:15 A.M. EDT

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

It is good to spend my birthday with some good friends.  (Laughter.)  And as I look around the room, there are very few of you who I haven’t, in some form or fashion, worked directly with on an issue -- some of you dating back to when I was in the state legislature, some of you who I’ve worked with in the United States Senate, and all of you who I’ve had the opportunity to work with as President of the United States.

So I am grateful.  And I want to first of all thank Rich, not only for inviting me here, not only for I know making clear my commitment to all of you during an earlier session today, but also for your outstanding leadership of the labor movement.  And we very much appreciate everything that you do.  (Applause.)

I want to thank Liz and Arlene for bucking up Rich all the time -- (laughter) -- and making him look good.  This is a shared leadership, and we are very proud of them.  I want to thank all the members of the Executive Council, all my brothers and sisters in the AFL-CIO. 

Together, you are fighting for the hardworking men and women in this country after nearly 10 years of struggle.  The middle class has been struggling now for about a decade -- 10 years in which folks felt the sting of stagnant incomes and sluggish job growth and declining economic security, as well as at least eight years in which there was a profound animosity towards the notion of unions. 

It’s going to take some time to reverse all that’s been done, but we’re on the right track.  We’re moving forward.  And that’s what I’m going to want to talk to you about briefly today. 
I hope you don’t mind me interjecting, though, a topic, because it’s in the news right now and I want to make sure that all of you are aware of it. 

One place in our country where people have faced particular struggles in the last few months is in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the BP oil spill.  So it was very welcome news when we learned overnight that efforts to stop the well through what’s called a “static kill” appear to be working -- and that a report out today by our scientists show that the vast majority of the spilled oil has been dispersed or removed from the water.  So the long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally close to coming to an end.  And we are very pleased with that.  (Applause.)

Our recovery efforts, though, will continue.  We have to reverse the damage that’s been done, we will continue to work to hold polluters accountable for the destruction they’ve caused, we’ve got to make sure that folks who were harmed are reimbursed, and we’re going to stand by the people of the region however long it takes until they’re back on their feet.

Now, beyond the Gulf, many of those who’ve been hit hardest by the economic upheaval of recent years have been the people that you represent.  For generations, manufacturing was the ticket to a better life for the American worker. 

But as the world became smaller, outsourcing, an easier way to increase profits, a lot of those jobs shifted to low-wage nations.  So, many who held those jobs went to work in the construction industry, as we had the housing boom.  But when the subprime mortgage crisis hit, when those mortgages were called up on Wall Street, that bubble burst, leaving devastation everywhere.

So now we’ve got millions of our fellow Americans swept up in that disaster -- hardworking people who’ve been left to sit idle for months and even years as their lives have been turned upside down.

And there’s one last element to it, obviously.  Having been plunged into a recession, it also means that teachers and firefighters and people who are providing public services each and every day are threatened because tax revenues at the state level and at the local levels have crashed.  And so you have a perfect economic storm that’s hit our middle class directly in every region, every segment of this country.

You know the stories -- I don’t need to tell you.  You know what happens when a plant closes and hundreds of your members are suddenly without work and an entire community is devastated.  You know how hard it is for somebody who’s worked his whole life to be unable to find a job.  And that pain goes beyond just the financial pain.  It goes to who they are as a person.  It hits them in their gut.

Having a conversation with your spouse and saying, you know, maybe we can’t afford this house anymore; maybe we’re going to have to give up on being able to save for our kids’ college education -- that goes directly to people’s identities, to their cores.  And this is something that all of you know all too well.

But I’m here to tell you, we are not giving up and we are not giving in.  We are going to keep fighting for an economy that works for everybody, not just for a privileged few.  (Applause.)  We want an economy that rewards, once again, people who work hard and fulfill their responsibilities, not just people who game the system.  And that’s been at the heart of the economic plan that we put in place over the past year and a half. 

And I want to thank the AFL-CIO for all you’ve done to fight for jobs, to fight for tax cuts for the middle class, to fight for reforms that will rein in the special interests, and to fight for policies that aren’t just going to rebuild this economy but are actually going to put us on a long-term path of sustainable growth that is good for all Americans. 

Because of you, we’ve been able to get a lot done over the last 20 months.  Together, we’re jumpstarting a new American clean energy industry -- an industry with the potential to generate perhaps millions of jobs building wind turbines and solar panels, and manufacturing the batteries for the cars of the future, building nuclear plants, developing clean coal technology.  There are other countries that are fighting for those jobs, in China and India and in Germany and other parts of Europe.  But the United States doesn’t play for second place.  As long as I’m President, I’m going to keep fighting night and day to make sure that we win those jobs, that those are jobs that are created right here in the United States of America and that your members are put to work.  (Applause.)

So the message I want to deliver to our competitors -- and to those in Washington who’ve tried to block our progress at every step of the way -- is that we are going to rebuild this economy stronger than before, and at the heart of it are going to be three powerful words:  Made in America.  Made in America.  (Applause.)

That’s why we’re finally enforcing our trade laws -- in some cases for the very first time.  That’s why we’re fighting for tax breaks for companies that invest here in the United States as opposed to companies that are investing overseas or that keep their profits offshore.  Because it is my belief -- and I know it’s the belief of this room -- that there are no better workers than U.S. workers.  There are no better workers than your members.  (Applause.)  And they are absolutely committed to making sure that America is on the rise again.  And we are going to keep moving forward with them -- not moving backwards but moving forward with them.

As we rebuild our economy, we’re going to rebuild America as well.  Over the last 20 months, bulldozers and backhoes have been whirring in communities across the country, as construction crews from local companies repair roads and bridges, railways and ports.  That was part of our plan, and it’s put hundreds of thousands of folks to work.  But there’s a lot more to do to rebuild our infrastructure for the 21st century, and a lot more Americans who are ready and willing to do that work.  So that, too, is an area where we’ve got to keep moving forward.

We’re going to have to cut taxes for middle-class families, and after a tough fight, we finally extended emergency unemployment assistance for folks who had lost their jobs.  (Applause.)  We passed the Fair Pay Act to help put a stop to pay discrimination.  We’ve reversed the executive orders of the last administration that were designed to undermine organized labor.  I’ve appointed folks who actually are fulfilling their responsibilities to make sure our workplaces are safe, whether in a mine or in an office, a factory or anyplace else.  And we are going to keep on fighting to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.  (Applause.)

With your help, we passed health reform, enshrining the idea that everybody in America should be able to get decent health care and shouldn’t go bankrupt when they get sick -- health reform that is preventing insurers from denying and dropping people’s coverage; that’s lowering the price of prescription drugs for our seniors.  It’s going to make health care more affordable for everybody, including businesses, which means they can hire more workers.

Together, we passed Wall Street reform, to protect consumers in our financial system and put an end to taxpayer bailouts and stop the abuses that almost dragged our economy into another Great Depression.

Now, the steps we’re taking are making a difference, but the fact is -- and Rich mentioned this -- it took us nearly a decade to dig ourselves into the hole that we’re in.  It’s going to take a lot longer than any of us would like to climb out of that hole.  And I’d be lying to you if I thought that all these changes are going to be happening overnight.  We’ve still got some tough times ahead.  And your members obviously are bearing the brunt of a lot of those tough times.

But here’s what we’re not going to do.  We’re not going to go back to digging the hole.  We’re not going to go back to the policies that took Bill Clinton’s surplus and in eight years turned it into record deficits.  (Applause.)  We’re not going back to policies that saw people working harder and harder but falling further and further behind.  We’re not going back to policies that gave corporate special interests free rein to
write their own rules, and produced the greatest economic crisis in generations.  We are not going back to those ideas. 

Because as hard as it is out there right now for a lot of folks, as far as we’ve got to go, what’s clear is that our nation is headed in the right direction.  Our economy is growing again instead of shrinking.  We’re adding jobs in the private sector instead of losing them.  America is moving forward. 

And we’re moving forward largely without any help from the opposition party -- a party that has voted no on just about every turn.  No on making college more affordable.  No on clean energy jobs.  No on broadband.  No on high-speed rail.  No on water and highway projects.  That doesn’t stop them from showing up at the ribbon cuttings.  (Applause.)  It doesn’t stop them from sending out press releases.  They’ve even said no to tax cuts for small businesses and 95 percent of working families.  They just said no to a small business tax cut again just last week. 

As we speak, they’ve been trying to block an emergency measure to save the jobs of police officers and firefighters and teachers and other critical public servants across the country who may be laid off because of state and local budget cuts. 

And as if that was not enough, now they’re talking about repealing this and repealing that.  I guess they want to go back to hidden credit card fees and mortgage penalties buried in the fine print.  They want to go back to a system that allowed for taxpayer bailouts.  They want to go back to allowing insurance companies to discriminate against people based on preexisting conditions.  They would repeal the tax cuts for small businesses that provide health care for their employees.  They want to go backwards; we want to move America forward. 

And that’s what the choice is going to be in this upcoming election, and all your members need to understand it.  I know if you’re talking to a lot of your locals, I’m sure they’re feeling like, boy, change is not happening fast enough; we are still hurting out here.  They’re frustrated.  They’ve got every right to be frustrated.  And I am happy, as President of the United States, to take responsibility for making decisions now that are going to put us in a strong position down the road.  And they need to know that, that we’re going to be working with you to make sure that we’re putting ourselves in a position where folks are working and working for a good wage and good benefits.

But you have to remind them for the next three months, this election is a choice.  You’ve got these folks who drove America’s economy into a ditch, and for the last 20 months, we put on our boots and we got into the mud and we’ve been shoving that car out of the ditch inch by inch, and they’ve been standing on the side the whole time watching, telling us, no, you’re not pushing hard enough, you’re not doing it the right way -- not lifting a finger to help.   And now we’ve finally got that car up on the blacktop there, about to drive, and they say they want the keys back.  (Laughter.)  Well, you can’t have the keys, because you don’t know how to drive.  (Laughter.)  You don’t know how to drive.  (Laughter.)  You’re not going to get the keys back.  (Applause.)  You’re not going to get them back.

Somebody pointed out to me that when you’re in a car and you want to go forward, you put it in “D.”  (Laughter.)  You want to go back in the ditch, you put it on “R.”  (Laughter.)  So I just want everybody to think about that.  (Applause.)

All right, let me close by saying this.  A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit -- not a few weeks ago, just a few days ago -- I had the opportunity to visit a Chrysler plant in Detroit.  This is a place obviously that’s been harder hit than just about anywhere, not just during this financial crisis but for a couple of decades now.  The auto industry alone lost hundreds of thousands of jobs in the year before I took office.  So we had to make a very difficult decision when I became President about whether to walk away from American automakers or help them get back on their feet. 

And I decided we couldn’t walk away from what could be a million middle-class jobs.  So we told the automakers that we would give them temporary assistance if they restructured to make themselves competitive for the 21st century.  And most of the “Just Say No” crowd in Washington didn’t agree with this decision.  And let’s face it, it was not popular in the polls.  A lot of people weren’t happy with that decision.  But today, all three U.S. automakers are operating at a profit for the first time in more than five years.  They’ve had the strongest job growth in more than 10 years -- 55,000 workers have been hired.  Instead of a planned shutdown, the plant that I was at is staying open this summer just to meet increased demand.  They’ve even added another shift.

Now, just a few weeks before I visited that auto plant, 14 of its employees won the lottery.  This is a true story.  Now you’d think they would have decided to retire, cash out, walk away.  But most of them didn’t.  They’re staying on their jobs.  And the guy who bought the ticket -- was a guy named William Shanteau -- took the money and he bought his wife one of the Jeep Cherokees that they make at the plant.  (Applause.)  And then he bought a bunch of American flags for his hometown, because he loves his country, just like he loves the company that he works for and the workers that he works with and the union that represents him.

And he’s going to keep on showing up every day because he loves that plant, he loves his coworkers, and he loves the idea of making something right here in the United States that’s worth something.  He loves the idea of being productive and creating something of value for people.

That’s the true character of our people.  That’s been the essence of the AFL-CIO.  That’s why even in these difficult times, I remain confident about our future, because of people like that, because of the workers that I meet all across this country, members of your unions who get up every morning and put in a hard day’s work to build a company, build a future, support their families. 

As Americans, they don’t give up.  They don’t quit.  I don’t give up.  I don’t quit.  The AFL-CIO does not give up.  It does not quit.  If we stand together, then I am absolutely confident that we are going to rebuild America, not just to where it was before this financial crisis, but stronger than it has ever been.  That is a commitment that I am making to you.  Thank you for the commitment that you’ve made to me.  God bless you.  Thank you guys.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

MR. TRUMKA:  Mr. President, on behalf of our full Executive Council, first of all, let me thank you for sharing your special day with us, and let us wish you again a happy birthday. 

Two, let us thank you for all that you’ve done for every working American out there.  I know you’re pressed for time.

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t a cake, though.  (Laughter.)  I’m going to have to talk to Secret Service.

MR. TRUMKA:  You got to talk to those guys, because they nixed the cake.

THE PRESIDENT:  They’re probably eating it right now.  (Laughter.)

MR. TRUMKA:  They are.  They got it all over them. 

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s some good cake.

MR. TRUMKA:  He has a little bit on him --

THE PRESIDENT:  Had some frosting on his -- I noticed that, all right.  (Laughter.) 

MR. TRUMKA:  We know you only have time for one question.  Mr. President, when I was working coalminer, I understood from personal experience how my parents and my grandparents formed a union and changed coalmining from a life-threatening journey through poverty into reasonably safe and well-paid jobs.  Now, so many Americans now work in bad jobs -- jobs with no benefits, jobs with -- that don’t pay a living wage, jobs that aren’t safe, jobs where they have no voice.

Now, we’re going into a congressional election three months from today, and I think it’s fair to say that workers’ hopes for congressional action to protect workers’ rights and to create jobs have been frustrated by a Republican minority that has filibustered every matter in front of them, every single thing that’s been good for us.

I just want to ask you, what advice do you have for workers as the election approaches, particularly for workers who are trying to organize to have a voice on the job?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you guys don’t need advice from me, but let me tell you what I see out there.  We were hurt by this recession, badly hurt.  This is going to take some time to recover.  Unemployment is at unacceptably high levels. 

But as I said before, we’d had challenges before the crisis hit.  A lot of your membership had been hurting long before, partly because we just live in a more competitive world.  There’s nothing we can do about that, that’s just the truth.  But a lot of it also had to do with the fact that we put policies in place that were not good for working families.  There’s a reason why incomes, wages, were stagnant for average workers, even while the costs were going up.  And part of it had to do with the fact that we had a philosophy that said that providing help to workers, allowing them to collectively bargain, allowing them to negotiate for better benefits, that that all was something of the past instead of something we need for the future.

So on the one hand, I think everybody here understands we’ve got to be competitive in America.  We’ve got to have competitive price structures.  We’ve got to make the best products possible.  Workers have to be invested in trying to help the companies they work for succeed.  With respect to public employees, we’ve all got to work together to make sure that whatever we’re doing, whether it’s as firefighters or as teachers or postal workers, whatever it is, that we’re providing the best possible service.  I think everybody understands that there’s no operation in the United States of America that shouldn’t be efficient and effective in doing what it does.

But it is my profound belief that companies are stronger when their workers are getting paid well and have decent benefits and are treated with dignity and respect.  (Applause.)  It is my profound belief that our government works best when it’s not being run on behalf of special interests, but it’s being run on behalf of the public interest, and that the dedication of public servants reflects that.

So FDR I think said -- he was asked once what he thought about unions.  He said, “If I was a worker in a factory and I wanted to improve my life, I would join a union.”  (Applause.)  Well, I tell you what.  I think that’s true for workers generally.  I think if I was a coalminer, I’d want a union representing me to make sure that I was safe and you did not have some of the tragedies that we’ve been seeing in the coal industry.  If I was a teacher, I’d want a union to make sure that the teachers’ perspective was represented as we think about shaping an education system for our future. 

And that’s why my administration has consistently implemented not just legislative strategies but also, where we have the power through executive orders, to make sure that those basic values are reflected.

I’m not telling anybody anything you don’t know.  Getting EFCA through Senate is going to be tough.  It’s always been tough; it will continue to be tough.  We’ll keep on pushing.  But our work doesn’t stop there.  I mean, there’s a reason why we nominated people to the National Mediation Board that would ensure that folks in the rail industry and in the air industry were going to end up having a better deal.  (Applause.) 

We are going to make sure that the National Labor Relations Board is restored to have some balance so that if workers want to form a union, they can at least get a fair vote in a reasonable amount of time.  And we don’t want, by the way, government dollars going in to pay for union busting.  That’s not something that we believe in.  That’s not right.  That tilts the playing field in an unfair way.  (Applause.)

So you’re going to have an administration that’s working alongside you.  There are going to be times where we want to get something done and we can’t get it done, at least not immediately, and we’re going to just keep on at it.  I think people have started to figure out I’m a persistent son of a gun.  (Laughter.)  I just stay on things if I think they’re the right thing to do.  And we should be looking for opportunities, by the way, to make sure that the labor movement is, wherever possible, finding common ground with the business community, because I want America as a whole to be competitive. 

One of the problems that we’ve had over the last decade is that so often the business community sees labor as the problem, and their basic attitude is, well, you know what, we’ll just go to wherever we don’t have any problems with labor and we can pay them the lowest wages and the fewest benefits, and then just ship the stuff back here, and our profits will be good.  But over time, that hollows out America and hollows out our middle class.  That makes us weaker, not stronger.

Now, on the other hand, when business and labor are working together, then we can compete against anybody, and we can knock down trade barriers in other countries, and we can start selling products around the world.  And we make great products in this country.  We’ve got the best workers in the world, the best universities in the world.  Got the most dynamic economy in the world.  We have the freest market system in the world.  And all those things give us a huge competitive advantage if we’re all working together.

So my bottom line is this:  I’m going to continue to work with all of you on behalf of working families around the country, and I’m going to continue to reach out to businesses to try to make the argument that what’s good for workers is going to be good for business.  They’re your customers as well as your workers.  And if they’ve got a decent living standard, that’s lifting the entire economy up.  And they’re going to be buying more products and they’re going to be buying more services.  And all of us are going to be growing together.  And the 21st century is going to end up being the American century just like the 20th century was.

But we’re not going to be able to do it when we’re pitted against each other.  And I’m actually confident that once we get through some of the political posturing and shenanigans that we’ve been seeing over the last several years, people are going to step back and say, you know what, the lesson we needed to learn out of hardship is, we’re all in this thing together.  We are all in this thing together.

That’s what the union movement’s always been about.  We’re stronger together than we are on our own.  That is true within individual unions.  That is true within industries.  That is true for the country as a whole.  And I hope that I will be your partner in trying to bring about that unity of purpose in the years to come.

All right?  Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)   

END
11:46 A.M. EDT
 

Remarks by the President at Town Hall with Young African Leaders

East Room

2:07 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat. 

Well, good afternoon, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Good afternoon.

THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House, and welcome to the United States of America.  And that includes even our friends from Ghana, who beat us in the World Cup.  (Laughter.)  Where are you?  Over there?  That's all right.  It was close.  We’ll see you in 2014.  (Laughter.)

It’s my great privilege to welcome all of you to this Young African Leaders Forum.  You’ve joined us from nearly 50 countries.  You reflect the extraordinary history and diversity of the continent.  You’ve already distinguished yourselves as leaders —- in civil society and development and business and faith communities —- and you’ve got an extraordinary future before you. 

In fact, you represent the Africa that so often is overlooked -- the great progress that many Africans have achieved and the unlimited potential that you’ve got going forward into the 21st century.

Now, I called this forum for a simple reason.  As I said when I was in Accra last year, I don’t see Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world.  Whether it’s creating jobs in a global economy, or delivering education and health care, combating climate change, standing up to violent extremists who offer nothing but destruction, or promoting successful models of democracy and development —- for all this we have to have a strong, self-reliant and prosperous Africa.  So the world needs your talents and your creativity.  We need young Africans who are standing up and making things happen not only in their own countries but around the world.

And the United States wants to be your partner.  So I’m pleased that you’ve already heard from Secretary of State Clinton, and that we’re joined today by leaders from across my administration who are working to deepen that partnership every day.

I can’t imagine a more fitting time for this gathering.  This year, people in 17 nations across Sub-Saharan Africa are proudly celebrating 50 years of independence.  And by any measure, 1960 was an extraordinary year.  From Senegal to Gabon, from Madagascar to Nigeria, Africans rejoiced in the streets —- as foreign flags were lowered and their own were hoisted up.  So in 12 remarkable months, nearly one-third of the continent achieved independence —- a burst of self-determination that came to be celebrated as “The Year of Africa” -- at long last, these Africans were free to chart their own course and to shape their own destiny.

Now, 1960, of course, was significant for another reason.  Here in the United States of America it was the year that a candidate for president first proposed an idea for young people in our own country to devote a year or two abroad in service to the world.  And that candidate was John F. Kennedy, and that idea would become the Peace Corps -- one of our great partnerships with the world, including with Africa. 

Now, the great task of building a nation is never done.  Here in America, more than two centuries since our independence, we’re still working to perfect our union.  Across Africa today, there’s no denying the daily hardships that are faced by so many -- the struggle to feed their children, to find work, to survive another day.  And too often, that’s the Africa that the world sees.
 
But today, you represent a different vision, a vision of Africa on the move -- an Africa that’s ending old conflicts, as in Liberia, where President Sirleaf told me, today’s children have “not known a gun and not had to run”; an Africa that’s modernizing and creating opportunities -- agribusiness in Tanzania, prosperity in Botswana, political progress in Ghana and Guinea; an Africa that’s pursuing a broadband revolution that could transform the daily lives of future generations.

So it’s an Africa that can do great things, such as hosting the world’s largest sporting event.  So we congratulate our South African friends.  And while it may have been two European teams in the final match, it’s been pointed out that it was really Africa that won the World Cup.

So once again, Africa finds itself at a moment of extraordinary promise.  And as I said last year, while today’s challenges may lack some of the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, they ultimately may be even more meaningful, for it will be up to you, young people full of talent and imagination, to build the Africa for the next 50 years.

Africa’s future belongs to entrepreneurs like the small business owner from Djibouti who began selling ice cream and now runs his own accounting practice and advises other entrepreneurs -- that’s Miguil Hasan-Farah.  Is Miguil here?  There he is right there.  Don’t be shy.  There you go.  (Applause.)  

As you work to create jobs and opportunity, America will work with you, promoting the trade and investment on which growth depends.  That’s why we’re proud to be hosting the AGOA Forum this week to expand trade between our countries.  And today I’ll also be meeting with trade, commerce, and agriculture ministers from across Sub-Saharan Africa.  It’s also why our historic Food Security Initiative isn’t simply about delivering food; it’s about sharing new technologies to increase African productivity and self-sufficiency. 

Now, no one should have to pay a bribe to get a job or to get government to provide basic services.  So as part of our development strategy, we’re emphasizing transparency, accountability, and a strong civil society -- the kind of reform that can help unleash transformational change.  So Africa’s future also belongs to those who take charge of that kind of transparency and are serious about anti-corruption measures. 

Africa’s future belongs to those who take charge of their health, like the HIV/AIDS counselor from Malawi who helps others by bravely sharing her own experience of being HIV-positive -- that’s Tamara Banda.  Where is Tamara?  There she is right there. Thank you, Tamara.  (Applause.)  So our Global Health Initiative is not merely treating diseases; it’s strengthening prevention and Africa’s public health systems.  And I want to be very clear. We’ve continued to increase funds to fight HIV/AIDS to record levels, and we’ll continue to do what it takes to save lives and invest in healthier futures.

Africa’s future also belongs to societies that protects the rights of all its people, especially its women, like the journalist in Ivory Coast who has championed the rights of Muslim women and girls —- Aminata Kane-Kone.  Where is Aminata?  There she is right there.  (Applause.)  To you and to people across Africa, know that the United States of America will stand with you as you seek justice and progress and human rights and dignity of all people.
 
So the bottom line is this:  Africa’s future belongs to its young people, including a woman who inspires young people across Botswana with her popular radio show, called, “The Real Enchilada” —- and that’s Tumie Ramsden.  Where’s Tumie?  Right here -- “The Real Enchilada.”  (Applause.) 

As all of you go to -- as all of you pursue your dreams —- as you go to school, you find a job, you make your voices heard, you mobilize people —- America wants to support your aspirations. So we’re going to keep helping empower African youth —- supporting education, increasing educational exchanges like the one that brought my father from Kenya in the days when Kenyans were throwing off colonial rule and reaching for a new future.  And we’re helping to strengthen grassroots networks of young people who believe -- as they’re saying in Kenya today -— “Yes, Youth Can!”  “Yes, Youth Can!”  (Laughter and applause.) 

Now, this is a forum, so we've devoted some time where I can answer some questions.  I don't want to do all the talking.  I want to hear from you about your goals and how we can partner more effectively to help you reach them.  And we want this to be the beginning of a new partnership and create networks that will promote opportunities for years to come. 

But I do want to leave you with this.  You are the heirs of the independence generation that we celebrate this year.  Because of their sacrifice, you were born in independent African states. And just as the achievements of the last 50 years inspire you, the work you do today will inspire future generations.

So -- I understand, Tumie, you like to Tweet.  (Laughter.)  And she shared words that have motivated so many -- this is what Tumie said:  “If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more and become more, then you are a leader.”  
So each of you are here today because you are a leader.  You’ve inspired other young people in your home countries; you’ve inspired us here in the United States.  The future is what you make it.  And so if you keep dreaming and keep working and keep learning and don’t give up, then I'm confident that your countries and the entire continent and the entire world will be better for it.

So thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.) 

All right, with that, I'm going to take questions.  Now, here are the rules -- (laughter.)  People, everybody who has a question, they can raise their hand.  In order to be fair, I'm going to call girl, boy, girl, boy.  We're going to alternate.  And try to keep your question relatively short; I'll try to keep my answer relatively short, so I can answer as many questions as possible, because we have a limited amount of time.  Okay?

I'm going to start with this young lady, right here.  And please introduce yourself and tell me where you're from also

Q    Okay.  Thank you very much.  I will express myself in French, if that is --

THE PRESIDENT:  That's fine.  Somebody will translate for me?  Yes?  Go ahead.  Just make sure that you stop after each sentence, because otherwise she will forget what you had to say.

Q    Thank you very much.  (Speaks in French and is translated.) Mr. President, hello.  And hello, everybody.  I'm Fatima Sungo (phonetic) of Mali.  I do have a question for you and I look forward to getting your answer.  But before I do so, I'd like to begin by telling you, Mr. President, how truly honored and privileged we feel to be with you today, and how privileged we are to express the voices of African youth, of African young leaders, and of course fully appreciate your recognizing us and giving us the opportunity to be here, and also recognizing our own responsibility to take your voice back home.

I'd like to say that I'm convinced this is an important watershed moment, this is the beginning of important change, the wonderful initiative you had to call us all here.  I wonder when did you see that particular light?  When did you imagine that bringing us here would be such a good idea?  I'm wondering what your thought process was, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, one of the things that happens when you're President is that other people have good ideas and then you take credit for them.  (Laughter.)  So I want to make sure that I don't take credit for my ideas -- for these ideas -- because the truth is my staff works so hard in trying to find new ways that we can communicate not just to the heads of state, but also at the grassroots.

     And the reason, I think, is because when you think about Africa, Africa is the youngest continent.  Many of the countries that you represent, half of the people are under 30.  And oftentimes if all you’re doing is talking to old people like me, then you’re not reaching the people who are going to be providing the energy, the new initiatives, the new ideas.  And so we thought that it would be very important for us to have an opportunity to bring the next generation of leaders together.

     That's point number one.  Point number two -- and I’m going to be blunt occasionally during this forum, so I hope you don't mind -- sometimes the older leaders get into old habits, and those old habits are hard to break.  And so part of what we wanted to do was to communicate directly to people who may not assume that the old ways of doing business are the ways that Africa has to do business.

     So in some of your countries, freedom of the press is still restricted.  There’s no reason why that has to be the case.  There’s nothing inevitable about that.  And young people are more prone to ask questions, why shouldn’t we have a free press?  In some of your countries, the problem of corruption is chronic.  And so people who have been doing business in your country for 20, 30 years, they’ll just throw up their hands and they’ll say, ah, that's the way it is.

     But Robert Kennedy had a wonderful saying, where he said, some people see things and ask why, and others see things that need changing and ask, why not.  And so I think that your generation is poised to ask those questions, “Why not?”  Why shouldn’t Africa be self-sustaining agriculturally?  There’s enough arable land that if we restructure how agriculture and markets work in Africa, not only could most countries in Africa feed themselves, but they could export those crops to help feed the world.  Why not?

     New infrastructure -- it used to be that you had to have telephone lines and very capital intensive in order to communicate.  Now we have the Internet and broadband and cell phones, so you -- the entire continent may be able to leapfrog some other places that were more highly developed and actually reach into the future of communications in ways that we can’t even imagine yet.  Why not?

     So that’s the purpose of this.  I also want to make sure that all of you are having an opportunity to meet each other, because you can reinforce each other as you are struggling and fighting in your own countries for a better future.  You will now have a network of people that help to reinforce what it is that you’re trying to do.  And you know that sometimes change makes you feel lonely.  Now you’ve got a group of people who can help reinforce what you’re doing.

     Okay.  It’s a gentleman’s turn.  This is why there are leaders, everybody has something to say.  But you don’t have to snap.  No, no, no.  It’s a guy’s turn -- this gentleman right here.

     Q    Mr. President, my name is Bai Best (phonetic) from Liberia.  The late Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller was the first black -- the first black psychiatrist in America and probably in the world.  In my country in Liberia, where there are a lot of great people who make landmark accomplishments both in their nation and in the world, many of them are not recognized for their accomplishments.  Today, Dr. Fuller’s name is etched where there is a medical -- there is a psychiatric center named in his honor at a place in Boston.  There are many other young African and young Liberian talented people who have great ideas and who want to come back home and contribute to their countries, to the development of their peoples.  But many times, their efforts -- their patriotic efforts -- are stifled by corrupt or sometimes jealous officials in government and in other sectors.  It’s an age-old problem.  Many times, they want to seek -- that basically leads them to seek greener pastures and better appreciation abroad instead of coming back home.  What are your thoughts on this?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, this is a problem that’s not unique to Africa.  Given different stages of development around the world, one of the problems that poorer countries often have is that the best educated and the most talented have opportunities elsewhere.  And so there’s what’s called the “brain drain” -- people saying, I can make 10 times as much money if I’m a doctor in London as I can if I’m a doctor back home.

     And so this is a historic problem.  Here is the interesting moment that we’re in, though -- if you look at where the greatest opportunities are, they're actually now in emerging markets.  There are countries in Africa that are growing 7, 8, 9 percent a year.  So if you’re an entrepreneur now with an idea, you may be able to grow faster and achieve more back home that you could here.

     Now, it entails greater risk, so it may be safer to emigrate.  But it may be that you can actually achieve more, more quickly back home.  And so the question is for young leaders like yourselves, where do you want to have the most impact?  And you’re probably going to have more impact at home whether you’re a businessman or woman, or you are a doctor or you are an attorney, or you are an organizer.  That's probably going to be the place where you can make the biggest change.

     Now, you’re absolutely right, though, that the conditions back home have to be right where you can achieve these things.  So if you want to go back home and start a business, and it turns out that you have to pay too many bribes to just get the business started, at some point you may just give up.

     And that's why one of the things that we’re trying to do -- working with my team -- when we emphasize development, good governance is at the center of development.  It’s not separate.  Sometimes people think, well, that's a political issue and then there’s an economic issue.  No.  If you have a situation where you can’t start a business or people don't want to invest because there’s not a clear sense of rule of law, that is going to stifle development.

     If farmers have so many middlemen to get their crops to market that they're making pennies when ultimately their crops are being sold for $10, over time that stifles agricultural development in a country.  So what we want to do is make sure that in our interactions with your governments, we are constantly emphasizing this issue of good governance because I have confidence that you’ll be able to figure out what changes need to be made in your country.

     I’ve always said the destiny of Africa is going to be determined by Africans.  It’s not going to be determined by me.  It’s not going to be determined by people outside of the continent.  It’s going to be determined by you.  All we can do is make sure that your voices are heard and you’re able to rise up and take hold of these opportunities.  If you do that, I think that there are going to be a lot of people who -- even if they're educated abroad -- want to come home to make their mark.

     All right.  Let’s see, I’m going to call on this young lady right here.

     Q    (Speaks in Portuguese and is translated.)  Good afternoon, everyone.  And thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity.

     THE PRESIDENT:  That sounds like Portuguese.  (Laughter.) 

     Q    It is, indeed, from Mozambique, sir.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Great.

     Q    Knowing, Mr. President, that, of course, America is a reference point for democracy in the world, and that you, sir, are, indeed a protagonist in that context today, I would love to hear from you, sir, what you would recommend to the young people in Africa and to civil society, in particular, in terms of following principles of nonviolence and good governance and democratic principles in our country.  Because, of course, our reality is very often quite starkly different.  There are 80 percent abstentionism often in elections, and elections that, indeed, lack transparency.  And all too often lead, alas, to social conflict.  Thank you.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, let me say, first of all, that if you are -- just as I said that you can’t separate politics from economics, you can’t separate conflict from development.  So the constant conflict, often ethnically-based conflict, that has taken place in Africa is a profound detriment to development and it’s self-reinforcing.

     If you have conflict and violence, that scares off investors.  That makes it more difficult for business people to create opportunities, which means that young people then don't have work, which means that they are more prone to be recruited in violent conflicts.  And you can get a vicious cycle.

     So I am a profound believer in not looking at violence as a solution to problems.  And I think the moral and ethical power that comes with nonviolence when properly mobilized is profound.

     Number two, I think the most important thing that maybe young people here can do is to promote the values of openness, transparency, honest debate, civil disagreements within your own groups and your own organizations, because that forms good habits.  If you are part of an organization -- and I’m going to speak to the men here, in particular -- if you are part of an organization where you profess democracy but women don't have an equal voice in your organization, then you're a hypocrite, right? And that is something that -- (applause.)  And that is something that we have to be honest about.  Oftentimes, women are not getting the same voice in African countries, despite the fact that they are carrying more than their fair share of burdens. 

So within your own organizations, within your own networks, modeling good democratic practices, listening to people who you disagree with respectfully, making sure that everybody gets a seat at the table -- all those things I think are very important.

Because part of what I’m going to -- what I’m hoping for is that some of you will end up being leaders of your country some day.  And if you think about it, back in the 1960s, when all these -- your grandparents, great-grandparents were obtaining independence, fighting for independence, the first leaders, they all said they were for democracy.  And then what ends up happening is you’ve been in power for a while and you say, well, I must be such a good ruler that it is for the benefit of the people that I need to stay here.  And so then you start changing the laws, or you start intimidating and jailing opponents.  And pretty soon, young people just like yourself -- full of hope and promise -- end up becoming exactly what they fought against.

So one of the things that I think everybody here has to really internalize is the notion that -- I think it was Gandhi who once said you have to be the change that you seek.  You have to be the change that you seek.  And one of the wonderful things about the United States is that in my position as President there oftentimes where I get frustrated, I think I know more than some of my critics.  And yet, we have institutionalized the notion that those critics have every right to criticize me, no matter how unreasonable I think they may be.  And I have to stand before the people for an election, and I’m limited to two terms -- it doesn’t matter how good a job I do.  And that’s good, because what that means is that we’ve got to -- we’ve instituted a culture where the institutions of democracy are more important than any one individual. 

And, now, it’s not as if we’re perfect.  Obviously, we’ve got all kinds of problems as well.  But what it does mean is that the peaceful transfer of power and the notion that people always have a voice -- our trust in that democratic process is one that has to be embraced in all your countries as well.

     Okay?  All right, it’s a gentleman’s turn.  Let me try to get this side of the table here.  This gentleman right here.  I’m not going to get everybody, so I apologize in advance.

     Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.  I'm from Malawi.  Mr. President, HIV/AIDS is greatly affecting development in Africa.  And if this continues, I’m afraid I think Africa has no future.  And I think the young people like us must bring change. And we really need a strong HIV prevention program.  But, again, access to treatment must be there. 

I attended the recent World AIDS Conference in Vienna, and the critics were saying that the worst -- the U.S. government is not supporting enough HIV/AIDS work in Africa through the PEPFAR and the Global Fund.  But, again, on the other side, other HIV/AIDS activists are saying that Africa on its own has not mobilized enough resources to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and they are largely depending on the West.

I think the challenge for us as African young leaders is to make sure that this comes to an end and we really need to reduce the transmission.  I don’t know -- from your perspective, what can we do to make sure that this comes to a stop?  Otherwise, it’s greatly affecting development in Africa.

THE PRESIDENT:  Good.  Well, let me start by just talking about the United States and what we’re doing.  I had some disagreements with my predecessor, but one of the outstanding things that President Bush did was to initiate the PEPFAR program.  It’s a huge investment in battling HIV/AIDS both with respect to prevention and also with respect to treatment.  Billions of dollars were committed.  We have built off of that. 

So when you hear critics -- what the critics are saying is that although I’ve increased the funding of the PEPFAR program, they would like to see it increased even more, which I’m sympathetic to, given the fact that the need is so great.  But understand I’ve increased it; I haven’t decreased it -- at a time when the United States is suffering from the worst economic -- just coming out of the worst economic recession that we’ve seen since the 1930s.  Nevertheless, because of our commitment to this issue, we’ve actually increased funding. 

Now, we have couched it in a broader initiative we call the Global Health Initiative.  Because even as we’re battling HIV/AIDS, we want to make sure that we are thinking not only in terms of treatment, but also in terms of prevention and preventing transmission.

We’re never going to have enough money to simply treat people who are constantly getting infected.  We’ve got to have a mechanism to stop the transmission rate.  And so one of the things we’re trying to do is to build greater public health infrastructure, find what prevention programs are working, how can we institutionalize them, make them culturally specific -- because not every program is going to be appropriate for every country.

I will say that in Africa, in particular, one thing we do know is that empowering women is going to be critical to reducing the transmission rate.  We do know that.  Because so often women, not having any control over sexual practices and their own body, end up having extremely high transmission rates.

So the bottom line is we’re going to focus on prevention, building a public health infrastructure.  We’re still going to be funding, at very high levels, antiviral drugs.  But keep in mind, we will never have enough money -- it will be endless, an endless effort if the transmission rates stay high and we’re just trying to treat people after their sick.

     It’s the classic story of a group of people come upon all these bodies in a stream.  And everybody jumps in and starts pulling bodies out, but one wise person goes downstream to see what’s exactly happening that's causing all these people to drown or fall in the water.  And that's I think what we have to do, is go downstream to see how can we reduce these transmission rates overall.

     And obviously -- when I visited Kenya, for example -- just in terms of education -- Michelle and I, we both got tested near the village where my father was born.  We got publicly tested so that we would know what our status was.  That was just one example of the kinds of educational mechanisms that we can use that hopefully can make some difference. 

     All right?  Okay, it’s a woman’s turn.  Okay, this one right here.

     Q    Thank you, very much, Mr. President.  And greetings from Ghana.  We are looking forward fervently to 2014 --  (laughter) -- for a repeat.  And I recollect that I was hosting a radio program the day of the match.  And we have a football pundit in Ghana -- he doesn’t speak English quite well, but very passionate.  And so I was interviewing him about what the psyche of our boys should be ahead of the match.  And he said to me, “This is not war, it is football.  If it were to be war, then maybe we should be afraid because the might of America is more than us.”  (Laughter.)  This is football.  They should go out there and be the best that they could be.  And they did.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they did an excellent job.  They were a great team.

     Q    Mr. President, my question now is that I hear a lot of young African leaders wonder how committed America would be to a partnership.  I hear those who are cynical about the notion of partnership.  They ask -- and always they ask, partnership?  What kind of fair partnership can exist between a strong and a weak nation?

     And so as we prepare ourselves for the future, we ask the same question of America:  How committed is your country to ensuring that the difficult decisions that young people have to make about trade, about agriculture, about support, are made -- to the extent that they may not be in the interest of America?  Because they tell me also that America will protect its interest over and above all else.  Is America committed to ensuring a partnership that might not necessarily be beneficial to America, but truly beneficial to the sovereign interest of the countries that we represent?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, let me say this.  All countries look out for their interests.  So -- and I’m the President of the United States, so my job is to look out for the people of the United States.  That's my job, right?  (Applause.) 

     Now, I actually think, though, that the interests of the United States and the interests of the continent of Africa greatly overlap.  We have a huge interest in seeing development throughout Africa -- because we are a more mature economy, Africa is a young and growing economy, and if you can buy more iPods and buy more products and buy more services and buy more tractors from us, that we can sell to a fast-growing continent, that creates jobs here in the United States of America.

     We have a huge interest in your public health systems because if we’re reducing greatly HIV/AIDS transmissions in Africa, then that will have a positive effect on HIV rates internationally, because of the transmigration of diseases back and forth in an international world.  And not to mention, if I’m not spending all this money on PEPFAR, that's money I can spend somewhere else.  So I’m going to be incentivized to see Africa do well.  That's in our interest. 

     And the truth of the matter is, is that whereas with some regions of the world, we do have some genuine conflicts of interest -- let’s say on trade, for example -- the truth is that the United States, we don't have huge conflicts when it comes to trade because, frankly, the trade between the United States and Africa is so small, so modest, that very few U.S. companies, U.S. commercial interests are impacted.

     That's why AGOA, our trade arrangement with Africa -- we can eliminate tariffs and subsidies and allow all sorts of goods to come in partly because you are not our primary competition.

     Now, I don't want to pretend that there aren’t ever going to be conflicts.  There will be.  There’s going to be difference in world views.  There are going to be some agricultural products where there are certain interests in the United States or there are certain interests in Europe that want to prevent those from coming in, even though, in the aggregate, it would not have a huge impact on the U.S. economy.  And so there are going to be occasional areas of tension.  But overall, the reason you should have confidence that we want a partnership is because your success will enhance our position rather than reduce it. 

Also Africa has some of our most loyal friends.  Every survey that's taken, when you ask what continent generally has the most positive views about America, it turns out Africa generally has a positive view of America and positive experiences.  So I think that you should feel confident even if I’m not President that the American people genuinely want to see Africa succeed. 

     What the American people don't want is to feel like their efforts at helping are wasted.  So if at a time of great constraint, we are coming up with aid, those aid dollars need to go to countries that are actually using them effectively.  And if they're not using them effectively, then they should go to countries that are.

     And one of the things that I’ve said to my development team is I want us to have high standards in terms of performance and evaluation when we have these partnerships -- because a partnership is a two-way street.  It means that, on the one hand, we’re accountable to you and that we have to listen to you and make sure that any plans that we have, have developed indigenously.  On the other hand, it also means you’re accountable.  So you can’t just say, give me this, give me that, and then if it turns out that it’s not working well, that's not your problem.  Right?  It has to be a two-way street. 

     Okay, looks like this side has not gotten a question here.  So how about this gentleman right here.

     Q    Thank you, Mr. President -- I'm from Zimbabwe.  Currently our government is in a transition between the former ruling party Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change.  And within this same context, Zimbabwe is currently under restrictive measures, especially for those who are party in line with Robert Mugabe under the ZIDERA Act.  How has been the success of ZIDERA -- the formation of the inclusive government?  Because in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is still using the rhetoric of sanctions, racist, property rights abuse, human rights abuse, in violation to the rule of law.  How has been the success of that towards the implementation -- the success or the growth of young people?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you probably have a better answer than me.  So you should be sharing with our team what you think would make the most sense.  I’ll be honest with you -- I’m heartbroken when I see what’s happened in Zimbabwe.  I think Mugabe is an example of a leader who came in as a liberation fighter and -- I’m just going to be very blunt -- I do not see him serving his people well.  And the abuses, the human rights abuses, the violence that's been perpetrated against opposition leaders I think is terrible.

Now, Changerai has tried to work -- despite the fact that he himself has been beaten and imprisoned, he has now tried to work to see if there is a gradual transition that might take place.  But so far, the results have not been what we had hoped. 

     And this always poses a difficult question for U.S. foreign policy because, on the one hand, we don't want to punish the people for the abuses of a leader; on the other hand, we have very little leverage other than saying, if there are just systematic abuses by a government, we are not going to deal with them commercially, we’re not going to deal with them politically, in ways that we would with countries that are observing basic human rights principles. 

     And so there have been discussions when I’ve traveled with leaders in the Southern African region about whether or not sanctions against Zimbabwe are or are not counterproductive.  I will tell you I would love nothing more than to be able to open up greater diplomatic relationships and economic and commercial relationships with Zimbabwe.  But in order to do so, we’ve got to see some signal that it will not simply entrench the same past abuses but rather will move us in a new direction that actually helps the people.

     And Zimbabwe is a classic example of a country that should be the breadbasket for an entire region.  It’s a spectacular country.  Now, it had to undergo a transition from white minority rule that was very painful and very difficult.  But they have chosen a path that's different than the path that South Africa chose.

     South Africa has its problems, but from what everybody could see during the World Cup, the potential for moving that country forward as a multiracial, African democracy that can succeed on the world stage, that's a model that so far at least Zimbabwe has not followed.  And that's where I’d like to see it go.  All right?

     How much more time do I have, guys?  Last question?  I’m sorry -- last question.  Last question.  No, it’s a young lady’s turn.  This one right here.

     Q    Good afternoon, Mr. President, your excellencies.  I am from Somalia.  I came all the way here with one question, and that is, living in conflict in a country that has confused the whole world, and being part of the diaspora that went back to risk our lives in order to make Somalia a better place, especially with what we’re going through right now -- how much support do we expect from the U.S.?  And not support just in terms of financially or aid, but support as an ear, as a friend, as somebody who hears and listens to those of us who are putting our lives and our families at risk to defend humanity.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think you will have enormous support from the people of the United States when it comes to trying to create a structure and framework in Somalia that works for the Somali people.

     Now, the history of Somalia over the last 20 years has been equally heartbreaking, if not more so.  You have not had a effective, functioning government that can provide basic services.  It’s been rife with conflict.  And now the entire region is threatened because of radical extremists who have taken root in Somalia, taking advantage of what they perceive to be a failing state, to use that as a base to launch attacks, most recently in Uganda.

And obviously the United States expresses its deepest condolences to the lives that were lost in Kampala -- at the very moment of the World Cup.  And it offered two contrasting visions. You have this wonderful, joyous celebration in South Africa at the same time as you have a terrorist explosion in Kampala.

     So we desperately want Somalia to succeed.  And this is another example of where our interests intersect.  If you have extremist organizations taking root in Somalia, ultimately that can threaten the United States as well as Uganda, as well as Kenya, as well as the entire region.

     So right now you’ve got a transitional government that is making some efforts.  I don’t think anybody expects Somalia anytime in the next few years to suddenly be transformed into a model democracy.  Whatever governance structures take place in Somalia have to be aware of the tribal and traditional structures and clan structures that exist within Somalia.  But certainly what we can do is create a situation where people -- young people are not carrying around rifles, shooting each other on the streets.  And we want to be a partner with Somalia in that effort, and we will continue to do so. 

And some of it is financial, some of it is developmental, some of it is being able to help basic infrastructure.  In some cases, we may try to find a portion of the country that is relatively stable and start work there to create a model that the rest of the country can then look at and say, this is a different path than the one that we’re taking right now. 

     But in the end, I think that this metaphor of the success of the World Cup and the bombing shows that each of you are going to be confronted with two paths.  There’s going to be a path that takes us into a direction of more conflict, more bloodshed, less economic development, continued poverty even as the rest of the world races ahead -- or there’s a vision in which people come together for the betterment and development of their own country.

     And for all the great promise that’s been fulfilled over the last 50 years, I want you to understand -- because I think it’s important for us to be honest with ourselves -- Africa has also missed huge opportunities for too long.  And I’ll just give you one example.

     When my father traveled to the United States and got his degree in the early ’60s, the GDP of Kenya was actually on partner, maybe actually higher than the GDP of South Korea.  Think about that.  All right?  So when I was born, Kenya per capita might have been wealthier than South Korea.  Now it’s not even close.  Well, that’s 50 years that was lost in terms of opportunities.  When it comes to natural resources, when it comes to the talent and potential of the people, there’s no reason why Kenya shouldn’t have been on that same trajectory.

     And so 50 years from now, when you look back you want to make sure that the continent hasn’t missed those opportunities as well.  We want to make sure of that as well.  And the United States wants to listen to you and work with you.  And so when you go back and you talk to your friends and you say, what was the main message the President had -- we are rooting for your success, and we want to work with you to achieve that success, but ultimately success is going to be in your hands.  And being a partner means that we can be there by your side, but we can’t do it for you. 

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

                                       END                   3:03 P.M. EDT                  
 

Remarks by the President at Disabled Veterans of America Conference in Atlanta, Georgia

Hyatt Regency Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia

11:23 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Everyone, please have a seat.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you. 
                                            
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Happy birthday!  (Laughter.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  It is --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Happy birthday!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  It is a great honor and -- it is true, I will be 49 this week.  (Laughter.)  I have a lot more gray hair than I did last year.  (Laughter.) 

It is an extraordinary honor to be here.  Thank you, Commander Barrera, for your kind introduction and for your lifetime of service, in the Marines in Vietnam --

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Ooh-rah! 

THE PRESIDENT:  -- but also as a tireless advocate for your fellow disabled veterans.  We are grateful to you.  Thank you for everything that you’ve done.  (Applause.) 

I want to thank your great leadership team for welcoming me today:  Chairman Ray Dempsey -- (applause.)  Absolutely.  Incoming commander Wally Tyson.  (Applause.)  National adjutant Art Wilson.  (Applause.)  Judy Hezlep of the DAV Auxiliary.  (Applause.)  And your outstanding Executive Director in Washington, Dave Gorman.  (Applause.) 

And I am pleased to be joined by a decorated Vietnam veteran, wounded warrior, and a lifetime member of the DAV -- my outstanding Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Ric Shinseki.  (Applause.)

Disabled American Veterans, I valued your advice and counsel when I was a senator, when I co-sponsored the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  You were one of the first veterans organizations that I called upon when I began my presidential campaign.  (Applause.)  And as President, it’s been my pleasure to welcome you to the White House -- to make sure America is serving our veterans as well as you’ve served us.  (Applause.)  And, most recently, to sign advanced appropriations into law so that veterans health care will never again be held hostage to the budget battles and the political games in Washington.  (Applause.)

Now, there’s another visit I won’t forget.  I was in the Oval Office expecting a visit from the DAV.  And in comes Bobby carrying a baseball bat.  (Laughter.)  Now, it’s not every day that somebody gets past the Secret Service carrying a baseball bat.  (Laughter.)  You may have heard about this.  It turns out it was a genuine Louisville Slugger -- (applause) -- a thank you for going to bat for our veterans on advanced appropriations. 

So I’m grateful for that symbol of our partnership, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve achieved together.  But as one of your outstanding DAV members from Illinois just reminded me, this is a promise I made during the campaign -- it was a promise made and it was a promise kept.  (Applause.)  And I intend to keep on keeping my promises to the veterans of America.  (Applause.)

In the life of our nation, not every generation has been summoned to defend our country in its hour of need.  But every generation to answer that call has done so with honor and with courage. 

Among you are members of that generation that saved the world from fascism.  I was honored to stand with our World War II vets at Normandy last year for the anniversary of D-Day.  And this year, as we mark -- (applause) -- this year, as we mark the 65th anniversary of our victory in that war, we once again salute our veterans of the Second World War.  (Applause.)

Others among you faced a brutal foe on a cold Korean Peninsula.  This year, as we mark the 60th anniversary of that conflict, I will be proud to travel to the Republic of Korea in November to pay tribute to our veterans of the Korean War.  (Applause.)

Many of you served in the jungles of Vietnam.  (Applause.)  You also served with honor, exemplary dedication and courage, but were often shunned when you came home.  That was a national disgrace and it must never happen again.  (Applause.)  And that’s why we’re making sure our veterans from today’s wars are shown the respect and the dignity they deserve.  (Applause.) 

And whether you served in the Gulf to free a captive Kuwait or fought in the streets of Mogadishu or stopped an ethnic slaughter in the Balkans, you too are part of an unbroken line of service stretching across two centuries.   

For you, coming home was the beginning of another battle -- the battle to recover.  You fought to stand again and to walk again and to work again.  You fought for each other and for the benefits and treatment you had earned.  You became leaders in our communities, in our companies, and our country -- including a former Vietnam vet and senator, Max Cleland, who reminded us that America’s disabled veterans are “strong at the broken places.”  (Applause.)    

Today, your legacy of service is carried on by a new generation of Americans.  Some stepped forward in a time of peace, not foreseeing years of combat.  Others stepped forward in this time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm’s way.  For the past nine years, in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have borne the burdens of war.  They, and their families, have faced the greatest test in the history of our all-volunteer force, serving tour after tour, year after year.  Through their extraordinary service, they have written their own chapter in the American story.  And by any measure, they have earned their place among the greatest of generations. 

Now, one of those chapters is nearing an end.  As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end.  (Applause.)  Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility.  And I made it clear that by August 31st, 2010, America’s combat mission in Iraq would end.  (Applause.)  And that is exactly what we are doing -- as promised and on schedule.  (Applause.)

Already, we have closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of bases.  We’re moving out millions of pieces of equipment in one of the largest logistics operations that we’ve seen in decades.  By the end of this month, we’ll have brought more than 90,000 of our troops home from Iraq since I took office -- more than 90,000 have come home.  (Applause.) 

Today -- even as terrorists try to derail Iraq’s progress -- because of the sacrifices of our troops and their Iraqi partners, violence in Iraq continues to be near the lowest it’s been in years.  And next month, we will change our military mission from combat to supporting and training Iraqi security forces.  (Applause.)  In fact, in many parts of the country, Iraqis have already taken the lead for security.

As agreed to with the Iraqi government, we will maintain a transitional force until we remove all our troops from Iraq by the end of next year.  And during this period, our forces will have a focused mission -- supporting and training Iraqi forces, partnering with Iraqis in counterterrorism missions, and protecting our civilian and military efforts.  These are dangerous tasks.  There are still those with bombs and bullets who will try to stop Iraq’s progress.  And the hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq.

But make no mistake:  Our commitment in Iraq is changing -- from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats.  And as we mark the end of America’s combat mission in Iraq, a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there.  (Applause.) 

Remember, our nation has had vigorous debates about the Iraq War.  There are patriots who supported going to war, and patriots who opposed it.  But there has never been any daylight between us when it comes to supporting the more than one million Americans in uniform who have served in Iraq -- far more than any conflict since Vietnam.

These men and women from across our country have done more than meet the challenges of this young century. Through their extraordinary courage and confidence and commitment, these troops and veterans have proven themselves as a new generation of American leaders.  And while our country has sometimes been divided, they have fought together as one.  While other individuals and institutions have shirked responsibility, they have welcomed responsibility.  While it was easy to be daunted by overwhelming challenges, the generation that has served in Iraq has overcome every test before them.

They took to the skies and sped across deserts in the initial charge into Baghdad.  And today we’re joined by an infantryman who was there as part of the 101st Airborne Division -- Sergeant Nicholas Bernardi is here.  (Applause.)

When invasion gave way to insurgency, our troops persevered, block by block, city by city, from Baghdad to Fallujah.  As a driver in a transportation company, this soldier endured constant attacks but never waivered in his mission -- and we thank Sergeant Dan Knabe.  Thank you, Dan.  (Applause.)

When terrorists and militias plunged Iraq into sectarian war, our troops adapted and adjusted -- restoring order and effectively defeating al Qaeda in Iraq on the battlefield.  And among those who served in those pivotal days was a scout with the 1st Cavalry Division -- Specialist Matt Seidl.  Matt.  (Applause.)

For each of these men and women there are countless others.  And we honor them all:  Our young enlisted troops and noncommissioned officers who are the backbone of our military; the National Guardsmen and Reservists who served in unprecedented deployments; more women tested by combat than in any war in American history.  (Applause.)  Including a Marine here today -- Sergeant Patricia Ruiz.  Patricia.  (Applause.)  I teased Patricia.  I said she looks like she’s still in high school.  (Laughter.)  But she’s a Marine.  (Applause.)

And we salute the families back home.  They too have sacrificed in this war.  (Applause.)  That’s why my wife, Michelle, and the Vice President’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have made it their mission to make sure America takes care of our remarkable military families, including our veterans. (Applause.)

Now, this summer, tens of thousands of our troops in Iraq are coming home.  Last week, Vice President Biden was at Fort Drum to help welcome back members of the legendary 10th Mountain Division.  Families are being reunited at bases across the country, from Fort Bragg in North Carolina to Fort Riley in Kansas to Fort Lewis in Washington.  And in this season of homecomings, every American can show their gratitude to our patriots who served in Iraq.

As we do, we are humbled by the profound sacrifice that has been rendered.  Each of the veterans I have mentioned carried with them the wounds of this war.  And as a nation, we will honor forever all who gave their lives -- that last true measure of devotion -- in service in Iraq -- soldiers, sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen -- active, Guard, Reserve.     

Even as we end the war in Iraq, even as we welcome home so many of our troops, others are still deployed in Afghanistan.  So I want to remind everyone, it was Afghanistan where al Qaeda plotted and trained to murder 3,000 innocent people on 9/11.  It is Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan where terrorists have launched other attacks against us and our allies.  And if Afghanistan were to be engulfed by an even wider insurgency, al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates would have even more space to plan their next attack.  And as President of the United States, I refuse to let that happen.  (Applause.)

The effort in Afghanistan has been long and been difficult.  And that’s why after years in which the situation had deteriorated, I announced a new strategy last December -- a military effort to break the Taliban’s momentum and train Afghan forces so that they can take the lead for their security; and a civilian effort to promote good governance and development that improves the lives of the Afghan people; and deeper cooperation with Pakistan to root out terrorists on both sides of the border.

We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan.  But it’s important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable.     

On the military front, nearly all the additional forces that I ordered to Afghanistan are now in place.  Along with our Afghan and international partners, we are going on the offensive against the Taliban -- targeting their leaders, challenging them in regions where they had free reign, and training Afghan national security forces.  (Applause.)  Our thoughts and prayers are with all our troops risking their lives for our safety in Afghanistan. 

And on the civilian front, we’re insisting on greater accountability.  And the Afghan government has taken concrete steps to foster development and combat corruption, and to put forward a reintegration plan that allows Afghans to lay down their arms. 

In Pakistan, we’ve seen the government begin to take the fight to violent extremists within its borders, and major blows have been struck against al Qaeda and its leadership -- because in this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe haven for al Qaeda and their extremist allies.  We will disrupt, we will dismantle, and we will ultimately defeat al Qaeda.  (Applause.)  And we will give our troops the resources and the equipment to get the job done and keep our country safe.  (Applause.)   

At the same time, every American who has ever worn the uniform must also know this:  Your country is going to take care of you when you come home.  (Applause.)  Our nation’s commitment to our veterans, to you and your families, is a sacred trust.  And to me and my administration, upholding that trust is a moral obligation.  It’s not just politics.

That’s why I’ve charged Secretary Shinseki with building a 21st century VA.  (Applause.)  And that includes one of the largest percentage increases to the VA budget in the past 30 years.  (Applause.)  We are going to cut this deficit that we’ve got, and I’ve proposed a freeze on discretionary domestic spending.  But what I have not frozen is the spending we need to keep our military strong, our country safe and our veterans secure.  So we’re going to keep on making historic commitments to our veterans.  (Applause.)  

For about 200,000 Vietnam vets who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and who now suffer from three chronic diseases, we’re making it easier for you to get the health care and benefits you need.  (Applause.)

For our Gulf War veterans, we’ve declared that nine infectious diseases are now presumed to be related to your service in Desert Storm.  (Applause.)

For our disabled veterans, we’ve eliminated co-pays for those of you who are catastrophically disabled.  (Applause.)  We’ve kept our promise on concurrent receipt by proposing legislation that would allow severely disabled retirees to receive your military retired pay and your VA disability benefits.  It’s the right thing to do.  (Applause.)

We’ve dramatically increased funding for veterans health care across the board, and that includes improving care for rural veterans and women veterans.  (Applause.)  For those half-million vets who had lost their eligibility -- our Priority 8 veterans -- we’re restoring your access to VA health care.  (Applause.)
    
And since the rumors continue to fly, even though they are wrong, let me say it as clearly as I can:  The historic health care reform legislation that I signed into law does not -- I repeat, does not -- change your veterans benefits.  (Applause.)  The VA health care benefits that you know and trust are safe, and that includes prosthetics for our disabled veterans.  (Applause.)

Thanks to advanced appropriations, the delays for funding for veterans medical care are over.  And just as those delays were unacceptable, so too are long delays in the claims process.  (Applause.)  So Secretary Shinseki is working overtime to create a single lifetime electronic record that our troops and veterans can keep for life.  (Applause.)   

And today -- today I can announce that for the first time ever, veterans will be able to go to the VA website, click a simple “blue button,” and download or print your personal health records so you have them when you need them and can share them with your doctors outside of the VA.  That’s happening this fall.  (Applause.)    

We’re hiring thousands of new claims processors to break the backlog once and for all.  (Applause.)  And to make sure the backlog doesn’t come back, we’re reforming the claims process itself with new information technologies and a paperless system.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Hallelujah! 

THE PRESIDENT:  We got an Amen over here.  (Laughter and applause.)

As a result of the innovation competition that I announced last summer, our dedicated VA employees suggested more than 10,000 new ways to cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy.  (Applause.)  And we’re already putting dozens of these innovative ideas into action.  Additionally, we’re enabling more veterans to check the status of their claims online and from their cell phone.  (Applause.)

As a next step, we’re opening this competition to entrepreneurs and academics so the best minds in America can help us develop the technologies to serve our vets, including those of you with multiple traumatic injuries. And we’re going to keep at this until we meet our commitment to cut those backlogs, slash those wait times, and deliver your benefits sooner.  This is a priority and we are going to get it done.  (Applause.)    

We’re making progress in ending homelessness among our veterans.  (Applause.)  Today, on any given night, there are about 20,000 fewer veterans on the streets than there were when we took office.  But we’re not going to be satisfied until every veteran who has fought for America has a home in America.  (Applause.)  We will not stop.  (Applause.) 

Finally, we’re keeping faith with our newest veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.  We’re offering more of the support and counseling they need to transition back to civilian life.  That includes funding the post-9/11 GI Bill, which is already helping more than 300,000 veterans and family members pursue their dream of a college education.  (Applause.)
    
And for veterans trying to find work in a very tough economy, we’re helping with job training and placement.  And I’ve directed the federal government to make it a priority to hire more veterans, including disabled veterans.  (Applause.)  And every business in America needs to know our vets have the training, they’ve got the skills, they have the dedication -- they are ready to work.  And our country is stronger when we tap the incredible talents of our veterans.  (Applause.)

For those coming home injured, we’re continuing to direct unprecedented support to our wounded warriors in uniform -- more treatment centers, more case managers -- delivering the absolute best care available.  For those who can, we want to help them get back to where they want to be -- with their units.  And that includes service members with a disability, who still have so much to offer our military. 

We’re directing unprecedented resources to treating the signature wounds of today’s wars -- traumatic brain injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  (Applause.)  And I recently signed into law the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act.  That’s a long name, but let me tell you what it does.  It not only improves treatment for traumatic brain injury and PTSD, it gives new support to many of the caregivers who put their own lives on hold to care for their loved one.  (Applause.)

And as so many of you know, PTSD is a pain like no other -- the nightmares that keep coming back, the rage that strikes suddenly, the hopelessness that’s led too many of our troops and veterans to take their own lives.  So today, I want to say in very personal terms to anyone who is struggling -- don’t suffer in silence.  It’s not a sign of weakness to reach out for support -- it’s a sign of strength.  Your country needs you.  We are here for you.  We are here to help you stand tall.  Don’t give up.  Reach out.  (Applause.)

We’re making major investments in awareness, outreach, and suicide prevention -- hiring more mental health professionals, improving care and treatment.  For those of you suffering from PTSD, we’re making it a whole lot easier to qualify for VA benefits.  From now on, if a VA doctor confirms a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that is enough -- no matter what war you served in.  (Applause.)

These are the commitments my administration has made.  These are the promises we’ve worked to keep.  This is the sacred trust we have pledged to uphold -- to you and all who serve. 

I want to make special mention of a truly inspiring American, Staff Sergeant Cory Remsburg.  He was at Bethesda during one of my periodic visits to see our wounded warriors.  And as I walked into his room, I saw a picture on the wall -- and it was a picture of the two of us together.  See, I had met Cory before, back at the D-Day anniversary in Normandy.  A good looking young man, a proud Army Ranger, he had joined in a reenactment of that historic paratroop jump. 
    
Then soon after, Cory served on his 10th deployment since 9/11 -- that’s right, his 10th deployment.  And that’s when an IED nearly took his life.  The traumatic brain injury was severe.  Cory was in a coma for months.  It seemed possible that he would never wake up.

But then something happened.  His doctors still can’t explain it.  His parents called it a miracle.  Cory opened one of his eyes.  Then a few weeks later, he moved a leg.  Then he moved an arm.
 
And there at Bethesda, we were meeting again.  And Cory still couldn’t speak.  But he looked me in the eye.  He lifted his arm and he shook my hand firmly.  And when I asked how he was feeling, he held up his hand, pulled his fingers together and gave a thumbs up.  (Applause.)

Today, Cory is at a VA hospital in Florida.  And with the support of his family and VA staff, he’s working hard every day to regain his strength.  He’s got to learn to speak all over again.  He’s grateful for the visits he’s received from friends and supporters -- including the Disabled American Veterans.  (Applause.)  

And Cory is only 27 years old.  He knows he’s got a long and very hard road ahead.  But he pushes on, and he’s determined to get back to his fellow Rangers.  And when someone at the hospital said, “Cory, you’re going to walk out of here someday,” he said “No, I’m going to run out of here.”  (Laughter and applause.)

So to Staff Sergeant Cory Remsburg, to the Disabled American Veterans -- I want to say to all of you, you are the very essence of America, the values that sustain us as a people, and the virtues our nation needs most right now.  And the resilience that, in the face of great loss, so many of you experienced, I know you, like Cory, know what it means to pick yourselves up and keep pushing on. 

And that sense of purpose that tells us to carry on, not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard, even when the odds seem overwhelming -- that's what we’re about.   The confidence that our destiny is never written for us, it’s written by us.  The faith, that fundamental American faith, that there are always brighter days ahead; and that we not will not simply endure, but we will emerge from our tests and trials and tribulations stronger than before -- that is your story.  That is America’s story.  And I’m proud to stand with you as we write the next proud chapter in the life of the country we love.

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

END
11:59 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President on the American Auto Industry and American Economy at Chrysler Auto Plant

Chrysler Jefferson North Assembly Plant
Detroit, Michigan

12:16 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Detroit!  (Applause.)

Well, it is good to be here.  Everybody, if you have a seat, have a seat.  (Laughter.)  It is good -- it’s good to be back.

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s good to be back.  First off, give it up -- give it up to Leah for that wonderful introduction.  (Applause.)

We’ve got some special guests here that I want to acknowledge.  First of all, your Secretary of Transportation, who has helped to make sure that we are guiding this process of rebuilding the American auto industry and is doing an outstanding job, from Peoria, Illinois, Secretary Ray Lahood.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Because of a funeral, she couldn’t be here, but I want everybody to give a huge round of applause to one of the best governors in very tough times that exists anywhere in the country, Jennifer Granholm.  She’s doing a great job.  (Applause.)

Your outstanding new mayor and close to my heart, NBA Hall of Famer, Dave Bing is in the house. (Applause.)

Two of the hardest working senators anywhere.  And they are always thinking about Michigan and Michigan manufacturing, making stuff right here in the United States of America, Carl Levine and Debbie Stabenow.  (Applause.)

Outstanding member of Congress, Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.  (Applause.)  UAW President Bob King is in the house.  (Applause.)  And Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne.  (Applause.)  Sergio is modest.  He doesn’t stand up.  (Laughter.)  But he’s doing a great job.

So I just had a tour of this outstanding plant with Sergio and Pat Walsh, your plant manager; General Holiefield -- now, that's a name right there -- (Laughter.)  General Holiefield, vice president of the UAW.  (Applause.)  Cynthia Holland, your local UAW president.  (Applause.)

And it was great to see the work that you’re doing and the cars that you’re building.  Especially when you consider the fact that just over a year ago, the future here seemed very much in doubt. 

Now, before I make my remarks, I’ve got to disclose, I’m a little biased here because the first new car that I ever bought was a Grand Cherokee.  (Applause.)  First new car.

Up until that point I had had some old, beat up -- (laughter) -- used cars -- they were not state of the art.  And I still remember walking into that showroom and driving out with that new car.  It had that new car smell, and everything worked.  (Laughter.)

I wasn’t used to that.  Had all these -- everything was electronic, and I had -- all my -- I’d had to roll up my windows up until that point.  So I’ve got some good memories of that car.  But I’ve got to tell you when I sat in this car, this is a better car.  This is a state-of-the-art car.  This is a world-class car right here.  (Applause.)

Now, I want everybody to think about where we were.  We were in the midst when I took office of a deep and painful recession that cost our economy about 8 million jobs -- 8 million jobs -- and took a terrible toll on communities like this one.

Our economy was shrinking about 6 percent per quarter.  Now, this morning we learned that our economy grew by 2.4 percent in the second quarter of the year, so that means it’s now been growing again for one full year.  (Applause.) 

Our economy is growing again instead of shrinking.  That's a welcome sign compared to where we were.  But we’ve got to keep on increasing that rate of growth and keep adding jobs so we can keep moving forward.  And that's especially important for places like this.

In the 12 months before I took office, the American auto industry lost hundreds of thousands of jobs.  Sales plunged 40 percent.  Think about that.  The industry looked like it was going over a cliff.  As the financial crisis and the vicious recession collided with an industry that for too long had avoided hard choices and hadn’t fully adapted to changing times, we finally reached the point where two of the Big Three -- Chrysler and GM -- were on the brink of liquidation.

And that left us with very few choices.  One choice, one option was to keep the practice of giving billions of dollars of taxpayer money to the auto industry but not really forcing any accountability or change -– so you just keep on kicking the tough problems down the road year after year and hopefully seeing if you can get more and more money out of Washington.

A second option was to do nothing and risk allowing two of the Big Three to disintegrate.  And that could have meant the end of an industry that, like no other industry, represents so much of what makes up the American spirit.

This industry has been the source of deep pride for generations of American workers whose imaginations led to some of the finest cars the world has ever known -- and whose sweat built a middle class that has held the dreams of millions of our people.

I just met one of your co-workers on a line.  He is third generation working at Chrysler.  His grandfather worked at Chrysler.  His father worked at Chrysler.  And now he is on the line at Chrysler.  And that could have all vanished.

Now, the worse thing about it is that if we had done nothing, not only were your jobs gone, but supplier jobs were gone and dealership jobs were gone, and the communities that depend on them would have been wiped out.  And, by the way, when you talk to the CEO of Ford, he’ll tell you that wouldn’t have been good for Ford either, because a lot of those suppliers that they depend on might have gone out of business.

Independent estimates suggest that more than 1 million jobs could have been lost if Chrysler and GM had liquidated.  And in the middle of a deep recession, that would have been a brutal, irreversible shock not just to Detroit, not just to the Midwest, but to our entire economy.  So I refused to let that happen.
 
And we came up with a third way.  What we said was, if you’re willing to take the tough and painful steps necessary to make yourselves more competitive; if you’re willing to pull together workers, management, suppliers, dealers, everybody to remake yourself for changing times then we’ll stand by you and we’ll invest in your future.  Our strategy was to get this company and this industry back on its feet, taking a hands-off approach, saying you guys know the business, we don’t.  We’re going to give you a chance, but we do know you’ve got to change.

Now, not surprisingly, a lot of folks were skeptical.  You remember last year.  A lot of folks were saying, well, this is stupid, we shouldn’t be helping them.  And I understood that.  Look, this was a hard decision.  I didn’t want government to get into the auto business.  I’ve got enough to do.  (Laughter.)  And the politics of it weren’t good.  Your delegation was supportive.  But Debbie and Carl, and Carolyn and others, they’ll tell you there are a lot of folks in Washington who said it couldn’t be done.

But I believed that if each of us were willing to work and sacrifice in the short term -- workers, management, creditors, shareholders, retirees, communities -- it could mark a new beginning for a great American industry.  And if we could summon that sense of teamwork and common purpose, we could once again see the best cars in the world designed, engineered, forged, and built right here in Detroit, right here in the Midwest, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So I placed that faith in you and all of America’s autoworkers, and you’ve vindicated that belief.  The fact that we’re standing in this magnificent factory today is a testament to the decisions we made and the sacrifices that you and countless stakeholders across this industry and this country were willing to make.  So today, this industry is growing stronger.  It’s creating new jobs.  It’s manufacturing the fuel-efficient cars and trucks that will carry us toward an energy independent future.  You are proving the naysayers wrong, all of you.  (Applause.) 

They thought it would be impossible for your company to make the kind of changes necessary to restore fiscal discipline and move towards viability.  Today, for the first time since 2004, all three U.S. automakers are operating at a profit, the first time in six years.  (Applause.)

Last year, sales plummeted and manufacturers and suppliers across the country were forced to idle plants and furlough workers.  Today, Chrysler is responding to more demand than anticipated by keeping this plant and others running through the usual summer shutdown.  The same goes for GM’s plants.  Sales have rebounded.  Across the supply chain, plants that wouldn’t exist without the sacrifices made across this industry are running at nearly full capacity. 

Last year, many thought this industry would keep losing jobs, as it had for the better part of the past decade.  Today, U.S. automakers have added 55,000 jobs since last June, the strongest job growth in more than 10 years in the auto industry.  This plant just hired a new shift of 1,100 workers last week.  (Applause.)

I met one of your co-workers on the line.  He said, “Thank you, Mr. President, I needed to get out of the house.”  (Laughter.)

I said, “I know your wife really felt that way.”  (Laughter.)  “I’m sure you were driving her crazy.”

The Dundee Chrysler plant will begin production of an American-made, advanced technology, fuel-efficient engine this December.  (Applause.)  The Sterling Heights Chrysler plant that was scheduled to close after 2012 will stay open and add a second shift of 900 workers next year.  (Applause.)  And when a plant thrives, that doesn’t just affect the new workers, that affects the entire community.

Now, it also helped that we took steps to stimulate demand, steps like Cash for Clunkers, which said that if you trade in your old car in for a new, more fuel-efficient model you’d get a rebate.  That program was good for automakers.  It was good for consumers.  But you know what, it was also good for the environment.  It was more successful than we ever imagined and it saved at least 100,000 jobs, giving dealerships sales numbers they hadn’t had in years and communities an economic boost they wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

So there’s no doubt that the auto industry is growing stronger.  But, look, the hard truth is this industry lost a lot of jobs in recent years.  Some of those jobs aren’t coming back partly because automakers have become so much more efficient than they used to be.  This is a lean, mean operation.  And so there are people who have still lost their jobs, haven’t been hired back and it wasn’t their fault.  Mistakes were made in managing the company that weren’t theirs.

So that’s why we still also got to make targeted investments to encourage new private sector manufacturing growth.  We got to encourage clean energy.  That’s why we’re taking steps to help communities revitalize and redevelop old, shuttered auto facilities, preparing them for new industries and new jobs and new opportunities.

I’ll give you an example, those investments that we’re making are helping to create an entire new advanced battery industry take root right here in Michigan.  That industry was producing only 2 percent of the world’s advanced batteries last year, but by 2015, we expect to produce 40 percent of the advanced batteries that go into our cars.  (Applause.)  And we’re going to do it right here in Michigan -- all across the Midwest.

Investments like those mean jobs for American workers to do what they’ve always done: build great products and sell them around the world.

So the bottom line is this -- we’ve got a long way to go, but we’re beginning to see some of these tough decisions pay off.  We are moving forward.

I want you to remember, though, if some folks had their way, none of this would have been happening.  I just want to point that out.  Right?  I mean this -- this plant -- this plant and your jobs might not exist.  There were leaders of the “just say no” crowd in Washington -- they were saying -- oh, standing by the auto industry would guarantee failure.  One of them called it “the worst investment you could possibly make.”

AUDIENCE:  Boo!

THE PRESIDENT:  They said -- they said we should just walk way and let those jobs go. 

AUDIENCE:  Boo!

THE PRESIDENT:  I wish they were standing here today.  (Applause.)  I wish they could see what I’m seeing in this plant and talk to the workers who are here taking pride in building a world-class vehicle.  I don’t think they’d be willing to look you in the eye and say that you were a bad investment.  They might just come around if they were standing here and admit that by standing by a great American industry and the good people who work for it, that we did the right thing.  It’s hard for them to say that.  You know, they like admitting when I do the right thing.  (Laughter.)  But they might have had to admit it.  And I want all of you to know, I will bet on the American worker any day of the week!  (Applause.)

You know, when World War II hit Pearl Harbor, we didn’t throw up our arms and said “boy, this is tough.  I don't know what we’re going to do.”  We rolled up our sleeves.  We got to work.  And it was workers just like you, right here in Detroit, who built an arsenal of democracy that propelled America to victory.  It was workers like you that built this country into the greatest economic power the world has ever known; it workers like you that manufactured a miracle that was uniquely American.

We faced down impossible odds.  We can rise to meet any challenge.  As I was thinking about what to say today, an extraordinary story was brought to my attention.

I don't know if they're here, but I think some of you just know 14 of your fellow employees at the plant won the lottery.  (Applause.)  Where are they?  That's one -- a couple of them right there?  (Applause.)  You know, lunch is on them, by the way.  (Laughter.) 

Now, the first assumption people might make is, you know after you win the lottery, you just kick back and you retire.  Nobody’d fault folks for that.  This is tough work.  But most of them, they just want to keep on working.  And I -- (Applause.)  Is William Shanteau here?  He’s not?  Well, he was one of the guys who bought one of the -- he bought the winning ticket, right?  Turns out he used some of the winnings to buy his wife one of the Jeep Grand Cherokees that you build right here.  (Applause.)  He called it a sweet ride.  (Laughter.)  And he’s going to pay for new American flags for his hometown because he loves his country.  (Applause.)

And he’s going to keep coming to work because he loves this plant, and he loves these workers, so don't bet against the American worker.  Don't bet against the American people.  We got more work to do.  It’s going to take some time to get back to where we need to be, but I have confidence in the American worker.  I have confidence in you.  I have confidence in this economy.  We are coming back!  (Applause.)

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

END
12:38 P.M. EDT