The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 21, 2010

Remarks by the President at a Father's Day Event

THEARC, Washington, D.C.

10:24 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello!  Hello, everybody!  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Let me just begin by making a few acknowledgements.  First of all, I've got some outstanding fathers here in the first row who aren’t seeing their kids enough because I'm working them all the time -- three members of my Cabinet:  Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner --  (applause) -- Attorney General Eric Holder -- (applause) -- and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke are here.  (Applause.) 

In addition, we've got one of my heroes and I'm sure one of yours, somebody whose shoulders I stand on and allowed me to become President of the United States, and that's Congressman from the great state of Georgia, John Lewis, is here.  (Applause.)  A fierce advocate on behalf of the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is here.  (Applause.) 

I want to acknowledge the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Adrian Fenty in the house.  (Applause.)  The executive director of ARC, Edmund Fleet, is here.  (Applause.)  I want to thank all the panel discussion participants who are involved in today’s events, and I want to thank Nurney Mason -- a Washington, D.C. icon.  Nurney founded Mason’s Barbershop in 1961.  That's the year I was born.  It’s still going strong.  He is here with his children and his grandchildren.  Where is he?  There he is right there.  (Applause.)  I could use a little trim.  (Laughter.) 

One year ago this week, we kicked off a national conversation on fatherhood and personal responsibility, and members of our administration fanned out all across the country to hear from fathers and families about the challenges that they face.  Secretary Arne Duncan, our Secretary of Education, held a discussion in New Hampshire about the link between fatherhood and educational achievement.  Gary Locke talked to fathers in California about balancing the needs of their families with the demands of their jobs.  Secretary Shinseki, of Veterans Affairs, held a town hall for military and veteran dads in North Carolina.  And Attorney General Holder traveled to Georgia for a forum about fathers in our criminal justice system. 

And in each of these places, each of these leaders posed a simple question:  How can we as a nation -- not just the government, but businesses and community groups and concerned citizens -- how can we all come together to help fathers meet their responsibilities to our families and communities?

And we did this because we know the vital role fathers play in the lives of our children.  Fathers are our first teachers and coaches -- or in my house, assistant teachers and assistant coaches -- (laughter) -- to mom.  But they’re our mentors, our role models.  They show us by the example they set the kind of people they want us to become. 

But we also know that what too many fathers being absent means -- too many fathers missing from too many homes, missing from too many lives.  We know that when fathers abandon their responsibilities, there’s harm done to those kids.  We know that children who grow up without a father are more likely to live in poverty.  They're more likely to drop out of school.  They're more likely to wind up in prison.  They’re more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.  They’re more likely to run away from home.  They’re more likely to become teenage parents themselves.

And I say all this as someone who grew up without a father in my own life.  He left my family when I was two years old.  And while I was lucky to have a wonderful mother and loving grandparents who poured everything they had into me and my sister, I still felt the weight of that absence.  It’s something that leaves a hole in a child’s life that no government can fill. 

So we can talk all we want here in Washington about issues like education and health care and crime; we can build good schools; we can put money into creating good jobs; we can do everything we can to keep our streets safe -- but government can’t keep our kids from looking for trouble on those streets.   Government can’t force a kid to pick up a book or make sure that the homework gets done.  Government can’t be there day in, day out, to provide discipline and guidance and the love that it takes to raise a child.  That’s our job as fathers, as mothers, as guardians for our children.

The fact is, it’s easy to become a father, technically -- any guy can do that.  It’s hard to live up to the lifelong responsibilities that come with fatherhood.  And it’s a challenge even in good times, when our families are doing well.  It’s especially difficult when times are tough, families are straining just to keep everything together. 

In a time of war, many of our military families are stretched thin, with fathers doing multiple tours of duty far away from their children.  In difficult economic times, a lot of fathers are worried about whether they’re going to be able to keep their job, or find a job, or whether they’ll be able to pay the bills and give their children the kinds of opportunities that if they didn’t have them themselves, at least they wished for their children.  And there are a lot of men who are out of work and wrestling with the shame and frustration that comes when you feel like you can’t be the kind of provider you want to be for the people that you love. 

But here’s the key message I think all of us want to send today to fathers all across the country:  Our children don’t need us to be superheroes.  They don’t need us to be perfect.  They do need us to be present.  They need us to show up and give it our best shot, no matter what else is going on in our lives.  They need us to show them -- not just with words, but with deeds -- that they, those kids, are always our first priority.

Those family meals, afternoons in the park, bedtime stories; the encouragement we give, the questions we answer, the limits we set, the example we set of persistence in the face of difficulty and hardship -- those things add up over time, and they shape a child’s character, build their core, teach them to trust in life and to enter into it with confidence and with hope and with determination.  And that’s something they’ll always carry with them:  that love that we show not with money, or fame, or spectacular feats, but through small daily acts -- the love we show and that we earn by being present in the lives of our children.

Now, unfortunately, the way we talk about fatherhood in this country doesn’t always reinforce these truths.  When we talk about issues like child care and work-family balance, we call them “women’s issues” and “mothers’ issues.”  Too often when we talk about fatherhood and personal responsibility, we talk about it in political terms, in terms of left and right, conservative/liberal, instead of what’s right and what’s wrong.  And when we do that, we’ve gotten off track.  So I think it’s time for a new conversation around fatherhood in this country.

We can all agree that we’ve got too many mothers out there forced to do everything all by themselves.  They’re doing a heroic job, often under trying circumstances.  They deserve a lot of credit for that.  But they shouldn’t have to do it alone.  The work of raising our children is the most important job in this country, and it’s all of our responsibilities -- mothers and fathers.  (Applause.)

Now, I can’t legislate fatherhood -- I can’t force anybody to love a child.  But what we can do is send a clear message to our fathers that there is no excuse for failing to meet their obligations.  What we can do is make it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid those choices.  What we can do is come together and support fathers who are willing to step up and be good partners and parents and providers. 

And that’s why today we’re launching the next phase of our work to promote responsible fatherhood -- a new, nationwide Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative.  This is a call to action with cities and states, with individuals and organizations across the country -- from the NFL Players Association to the National PTA, to everyday moms and dads -- we’re raising awareness about responsible fatherhood and working to re-engage absent fathers with their families. 

As part of this effort, we’ve proposed a new and expanded Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund.  And we plan to seek out and support the very best, most successful initiatives in our states and communities -- those that are offering services like job training, or parenting skills classes, domestic violence prevention -- all which help provide the kind of network of support for men, particularly those in vulnerable communities. 

We’re also going to help dads who get caught up -- we want to make sure that they're caught up on child support payments and that we re-engage them in their children’s lives.  We’re going to support efforts to build healthy relationships between parents as well -- because we know that children benefit not just from loving mothers and loving fathers, but from strong and loving marriages as well.  (Applause.)  

We’re also launching a new transitional jobs initiative for ex-offenders and low-income, non-custodial fathers --(applause) -- because these are men who often face serious barriers to finding work and keeping work.  We’ll help them develop the skills and experience they need to move into full-time, long-term employment, so they can meet their child support obligations and help provide for their families.

And under Eric Holder’s direction, our Justice Department is planning to create its first “Fathering Re-Entry Court” for ex-offender dads -- (applause) -- and to help replicate this program in courts across the country.  The idea here is very simple:  to reach fathers right as they’re leaving the criminal justice system and connect them immediately to the employment and services they need to start making their child support payments and reconnecting them with their families. 

This program was inspired by leaders like Peter Spokes, who was the executive director of the National Center for Fathering -- a good friend to many in our administration, all of whom were deeply saddened by his recent passing.  And we are honored to have Peter’s wife, Barbara, with us here today.  Where’s Barbara?  I just saw her earlier.  There she is.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So these initiatives are a good start.  But ultimately, we know that the decision to be a good father -- that’s up to us, each of us, as individuals.  It’s one that men across this country are making every single day -- attending those school assemblies; parent-teacher conferences; coaching soccer, Little League; scrimping and saving, and working that extra shift so that their children can go to college.  And plenty of fathers -- and men who aren’t fathers as well -- are stepping up to serve as mentors and tutors and big brothers and foster parents to young people who don’t have any responsible adult in their lives.   

Even when we give it our best efforts, there will still be plenty of days of struggle and heartache when we don’t quite measure up -- talking to the men here now.  Even with all the good fortune and support Michelle and I have had in our lives, I’ve made plenty of mistakes as a parent.  I’ve lost count of all the times when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood.  And I know I’ve missed out on moments in my daughters’ lives that I’ll never get back, and that’s a loss that’s hard to accept. 

But I also know the feeling that one author described when she wrote that “to have a child…is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”  (Laughter.)  Think about that -- to have a child is to have your heart walking around outside your body.

I’m sure a lot of fathers here know that same memory that I have, of driving home with Michelle and Malia right after she was born, going about 10 miles an hour.  (Laughter.)  Your emotions swinging between unadulterated joy and sheer terror.  (Laughter.)  And I made a pledge that day that I would do everything I could to give my daughter what I never had -- that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father.  (Applause.) 

And like a lot of the men here, since that time I’ve found there’s nothing else in my life that compares to the pleasures I take in spending time with my girls.  Nothing else comes close to the pride I feel in their achievement and the satisfaction I get in watching them grow into strong, confident young women. 

Over the course of my life, I have been an attorney, I’ve been a professor, I’ve been a state senator, I’ve been a U.S. senator -- and I currently am serving as President of the United States.  But I can say without hesitation that the most challenging, most fulfilling, most important job I will have during my time on this Earth is to be Sasha and Malia’s dad.  (Applause.) 

So you don’t need a fancy degree for that.  You don’t need a lot of money for that.  No matter what doubts we may feel, what difficulties we may face, we all have to remember being a father -- it’s not just an obligation and a responsibility; it is a privilege and a blessing, one that we all have to embrace as individuals and as a nation. 

So, Happy Father’s Day, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

END
10:41 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 18, 2010

Remarks by the President at the Site of the 10,000th ARRA Road Project

Parsons and Livingston Avenue Construction Site
Columbus, Ohio

11:55 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Good afternoon.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it is great to be back in Ohio.  Strickland said I’ve been in Ohio so much he might start charging me for it.  (Laughter.) 

It is wonderful to be back in Ohio, and it is wonderful to be back in the beautiful city of Columbus.  I just want to say thank you right off the top to Mayor Coleman for his outstanding leadership of this city.  (Applause.)  You’ve got one of the best mayors in the country.  You also got one of the best governors in the country in Ted Strickland.  (Applause.)

And I also want to just acknowledge that you’re going to have one of the best -- you already have one of the best senators in Sherrod Brown, and you’re going to have another one in Lee Fisher.  (Applause.)  So we appreciate the great work that they’re doing.

I’m going to mention some of the congressional delegations here, because they’ve got a lot to do with what’s going on at this site.

My last visit here was a little over a year ago, when I came to take part in a graduation ceremony for 114 -- the 114th class of the Columbus Police recruits.  Some of you may remember that.  I know the mayor does.  I don’t have to tell anybody here that these have been difficult times for Ohio and difficult times for the country.  And when I was here last, America was losing 700,000 jobs per month.  Our economy was shrinking.  Plants and businesses right here in Ohio were closing.  And we knew that if we failed to act, then things were only going to get much worse.

That’s why, with the support of Sherrod Brown, but also members of the House of Representatives Mary Jo Kilroy, Steve Driehaus and Charlie Wilson, who are all here -- wave, guys -- (applause) -- that’s why these folks worked so hard to pass the Recovery Act, which cut taxes for middle-class families, that way boosting demand; cutting taxes for small businesses so that they could make payroll and keep their doors open; extending unemployment insurance and COBRA to help folks make it through some really tough times; to rebuild our infrastructure and make investments that would spur additional investments from the private sector and strengthen our country in the long run.  That’s what the Recovery Act was all about.

And since then, here in Ohio, nearly 2,400 small businesses have gotten loans to keep their doors open and their workers on payroll, 4.5 million families have gotten tax cuts to help pay their bills and put food on the table, some 450 transportation projects are underway or have been completed, and more than 100,000 Ohioans are at work today as a result of these steps.  And today, I return to Columbus to mark a milestone on the road to recovery:  the 10,000th project launched under the Recovery Act.  That’s worth a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

And I want to thank Secretary Ray LaHood, who has been instrumental in so many of the projects that have taken place.  He has done an outstanding job, as have our other agencies in administering these programs.

Now, these projects haven’t just improved communities.  They’ve put thousands of construction crews -- just like this one -- to work.  They’ve spurred countless small businesses to hire because -- these are some big guys here, so they got to eat -- (laughter) -- which means that you got to get some food brought in -- or the local restaurants here benefit from the crews being here at work.  It means that instead of worrying about where their next paycheck is going to come from, Americans across the country are helping to build our future -- and their own futures.

Now, as my friend Joe Biden -– who has done a great job overseeing the Recovery Act -- would say, this is a big deal.  (Laughter.)  And I think it’s fitting that we’ve reached this milestone here in this community, because what you’re doing here is a perfect example of the kind of innovation and coordination and renewal that the Recovery Act is driving all across this country. 

A lot of people came together to make this day possible -- business and government, grassroots organizations, ordinary citizens who are committed to this city’s future.  And what you’re starting here is more than just a project to repair a road –- it’s a partnership to transform a community. 

Mayor Coleman was describing for me how all these pieces fit together on the way over here.  So the city is using recovery dollars to rebuild the infrastructure.  And because of that, in part, the hospital is expanding its operations to take even better care of more people, more children, here in Columbus and throughout Ohio, which means they’re hiring more people.

So together, you’re creating more than 2,300 new jobs and sending a powerful message that this neighborhood will soon be a place where more families can thrive, more businesses can prosper, economic development that’s being sparked today is going to continue into the future.  And my understanding is, because the hospital is now growing, that means they’re putting money back into the neighborhood for housing and other facilities so that the entire community starts rebuilding.

Ultimately, that’s the purpose of the Recovery Act –-not just to jumpstart the economy and get us out of the hole that we’re in right now, but to make the investments that will spur growth and spread prosperity and pay dividends to our communities for generations to come. 

Since I was here last year, we’ve begun to see progress all across the country.  Businesses are beginning to hire again.  Our economy, which was shrinking by 6 percent when I was sworn in, is now growing at a good clip, and we’ve added jobs for six out of the past seven months in this country.  We were losing 700,000 jobs a month; for the last six out of the last seven months, we’ve increased jobs here in the United States of America, in part because of the policies that these members of Congress were willing to step up and implement.

Now, I’m under no illusion that we’re where we need to be yet.  I know that a lot of families and communities have yet to feel the effects of the recovery in their own lives.  There are still too many people here in Ohio and across the country who can’t find work; many more can’t make ends meet.  And for these folks, the only jobs we create that matter are the ones that provide for their families. 

So while the recovery may start with projects like this, it can’t end here.  The truth is if we want to keep on adding jobs, if we want to keep on raising incomes, if we want to keep growing both our economy and our middle class, if we want to ensure that Americans can compete with any nation in the world, we’re going to have to get serious about our long-term vision for this country and we’re going to have to get serious about our infrastructure. 

And I want to say a few words about infrastructure generally.  Along with investments in health care education, clean energy and a 21st century financial system that protects consumers and our economy, rebuilding our infrastructure is one of the keys to our future prosperity.
 
If we’re going to rebuild America’s economy, then we’ve got to rebuild America, period -- from the ports and the airways that ship our goods, to the roads and the transit systems that move our workers and connect cities and businesses. 

Now, some of this work involves fixing infrastructure that’s already in place -- patching up roads, repairing bridges, replacing old sewer lines.  And the Recovery Act has made important investments in all these things.  I mean we’ve got a huge backlog of work just with the infrastructure that we’ve got that could put hundreds of thousands of people to work all across the country -- just repairing roads that we already have and fixing sewer lines that are badly in need of repair.

But here’s the thing, Columbus.  Repairing our existing infrastructure is not enough.  We can’t build an economy that sustains our kids and our grandkids just by relying on the infrastructure that we inherited from our parents and our grandparents. 

We can’t let other countries get the jump on us when it comes to broadband access.  There’s no reason why Europe or China should have the fastest trains instead of the United States.  There’s no reason that Germany or other countries in Europe should have the newest factories that manufacture clean energy products instead of us right here in the United States. 

That’s why the Recovery Act has been making unprecedented investments in clean energy, spurring America’s businesses to build some of the world’s largest wind and solar projects right here in the United States of America.  I said this once at a State of the Union address:  America does not settle for second place.  And we’re going to make the investments to make sure we are first in the future -- not just in the past.  That’s got to be our priority.  That’s why we’re bringing high-speed Internet to ten thousands of homes -- tens of thousands of homes, and businesses and hospitals and schools.  It’s why Ray LaHood is helping to lead a surge in new investment in high-speed rail.  That’s why we’re investing in electronic medical records. 

A year ago, American businesses had just 2 percent of the market in the production of electric car batteries that power the vehicles of the future.  All these hybrid cars that have electric batteries?  Those batteries were made someplace else; we only had 2 percent of them.  We made investments in the Recovery Act, and by 2015, U.S. companies are going to have 40 percent of the global market.  We have created an advanced battery manufacturing facility -- facilities right here in the United States that are going to allow us to maintain that cutting edge.

From the very first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our nation has always been built to compete.  And you know, the history of Ohio is a testament to that.  Nearly two centuries ago, our nation’s first federally funded highway -- the National Road -- was extended across Ohio, bringing a generation of settlers west to this new frontier, and paving the way for the automobile that would transform our landscape. 

And for our economy to thrive in this new century, we’ve got to act with that same sense of purpose and that same spirit of innovation.  That’s why the recovery is just beginning -- just the beginning of the investments we’re going to have to make for years on our infrastructure.  It’s just the beginning of the work of increasing our mobility and our productivity, reducing congestion, reducing pollution, creating good jobs that can’t be shipped overseas. 

Because we know what we can achieve when we act boldly and invest wisely.  We’re seeing it right here in this community.  We see it in this hospital and the depths of its commitment to this city.  We see it in the city leaders who saw a need and an opportunity in this neighborhood and decided to act.  We see it in the folks right here who are ready to get to work building this road and providing for their families.  And I’m confident that we’ll soon see it in new families and businesses that are calling this area home.

It is with that vision of a brighter future -- for this city and for the country -- that we begin this project, and I am looking forward to seeing all that you achieve in the years and months to come.

So thank you.  Congratulations for the great work you guys are doing.  God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

END
12:08 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2010

Remarks by the President to the American Nurses Association

Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.

5:27 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  All right, everybody have a seat.  I got a lot to say here.  (Laughter.)  First of all, I want to just thank Becky Patton for the extraordinary work that she has done on behalf of nurses, on behalf of patients, on behalf of the country.  Thank you so much.  We are proud of everything that she’s done.  (Applause.)  And her mom is in the house -- so, thanks, Mom.  (Applause.)  Good job.  Good job with Becky.

I want to thank Marla Weston, the CEO of the American Nurses Association.  And I also want to acknowledge the presence here of Dr. Mary Wakefield, who is our -- (applause) -- for those of you who are not familiar, she is the administrator of HRSA and our highest-ranking nurse in the administration -- (applause) -- and does absolutely great work.

Now, I want to tell you, it is an honor to speak to the ANA, representing more than 3 million registered nurses across the country.  Part of the reason I’m here is because I promised I was going to come, and I told to Becky that I don’t break promises to nurses because you never know when I’m going to need a shot.  (Laughter.)  And I don’t want them working that needle all kind of -- “I can’t find a vein.”  (Laughter.)  So I’m keeping my promises. 

But it’s not just out of fear.  (Laughter.)  It’s also because I love nurses.  I love nurses.  (Applause.)  Now, I’m not just saying that because I’m talking to a roomful of nurses.  There are representatives from Illinois here in the house -- (applause) -- and they will testify I loved nurses before I got to Washington.  (Applause.)  And I don’t think I’m alone in that, because virtually all of us, at one time or another in our lives, have known the care and the skill that you offer.  In hours of need, in moments where people are most vulnerable, most worried, nurses are there, doing difficult and lifesaving work.  (Applause.)

     And you don’t just provide clean bandages or an intravenous line.  A nurse will hold your hand sometime, or offer a voice of calm, or that knowing glance that says things are going to be okay. 

     And when Malia was born, I remember vividly the nurses who took care of Michelle and our new baby.  The doctor who delivered is actually one of our best friends, but she was there about 10 minutes.  (Laughter.)  And the nurse was there the whole time tending to this new family of ours.  (Applause.)  That was a happy day.  Now, there was another day when our youngest daughter, Sasha -- she was three months old -- was diagnosed with meningitis.  And it was nurses who walked us through what was happening, and who, along with the doctors, helped make sure that Sasha was all right and that her father did not have a breakdown.  (Laughter.) 

So, as a father, as a husband, I will forever be in debt to the women and men of your profession.  And I know that millions of others feel the same way.  America’s nurses are the beating heart of our medical system.  You’re on the front lines -- (applause.)  You are on the front lines of health care in small clinics and in large hospitals, in rural towns and in big cities, all across America. 

And it’s because you know our health care system so well that you’ve been such a fierce advocate for its reform.  (Applause.)  Because after all, you care for patients who end up in the emergency room, or in surgery, because they couldn’t afford the preventive care that would have made more invasive and costly treatment unnecessary.  You are asked not only to take care of patients -- you’ve got to navigate a tangle of rules and forms and paperwork that drive up costs and prevent you from doing the best job possible.  (Applause.) 

     You’re the ones who see the terror in a parent’s eyes when an insurance company bureaucrat has denied coverage for a child’s treatment.  And you’re the ones who have to comfort people who are wracked with worry not only about getting better, but also about paying for health care because they’ve hit a cap on benefits or their insurance doesn’t cover a preexisting condition. 

So nurses have seen the consequences of our decades-old failure to reform our health care system -- the rising costs, the increased uninsured, the mixed up incentives, the overburdened providers, and a complex system that has been working a lot better for insurance companies than it’s working for the American people -- or for providers.  (Applause.)

And that's why, almost a year ago, nurses from across the country came to the White House to help make the case for reform -- for making coverage more affordable, and extending coverage to millions without it; for giving doctors and nurses more freedom to help their patients; for providing families and small businesses with more control over their health insurance; and for ending the worst and most abusive practices of the insurance industry. 

And after a long and tough fight, we succeeded -- yes, we did -- in passing health care reform.  (Applause.)  Thanks to you.  (Applause.)  And that reform will make a positive difference in the lives of the American people.

Now, this fight wasn’t new for the ANA.  I understand you were one of the only major health care organizations that supported the creation of Medicare from the start.  (Applause.)    And I want to recognize one of your leaders -– Jo Eleanor Elliott of Colorado, who is here today and was your president back then –- for the courage and leadership she showed.  (Applause.)   Where is she?  There you are right there.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

So you’ve been there before and you were here this time.  And I want to thank the ANA for advocating for health care reform –- for ensuring that the voices of nurses and of patients were heard.

Now, already, we’re seeing the start of a profound shift as reforms begin to take effect.  We’re giving ordinary consumers and small businesses more power and protection in the health care system -– and we’re knocking down barriers that stand between you and the people who you care for.

A few weeks ago, 4 million small business owners and organizations got a postcard in their mailbox from the IRS.  Now, usually that's not good news.  (Laughter.)  But this time it was because it told them that they could be eligible for a health care tax cut this year -- a tax cut worth potentially tens of thousands of dollars for those small businesses; a tax cut that will help millions to provide coverage to their employees.  That's happening now.

In many cases, young adults without health insurance are now able to stay on their parents’ plan until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  Even though insurance companies had until September to comply with this rule, we asked them to do so immediately to avoid coverage gaps for young adults, and most have agreed. 

     Starting this month, relief is also available to businesses for providing coverage to retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare.  And as of last week, senior citizens who fall into the doughnut hole have started receiving a $250 rebate to help them afford their medication -- and we’re going to keep on going until we close that doughnut hole completely.  (Applause.)  In the meantime, we’re strengthening Medicare by going after the billions of dollars in waste and fraud and abuse in the system.  And states like Maine and Connecticut are beginning to predict budget savings as pieces of reform come online.

     So we’ve begun making coverage more affordable.  In addition, the new health care law has also started to end the worst insurance industry practices.  You know them.  For too long, we’ve been held hostage to an industry that jacks up premiums and drops coverage whenever they please.  Those days are coming to an end.  (Applause.) 

     So after my administration demanded that a large insurance company justify a massive premium increase on Californians, the company backed off its plan.  My Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, has urged states to investigate other rate hikes.  We’ve set up a new Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight.  And we’ll provide grants to states running the best oversight programs to root out bad practices when it comes to premiums.

     Now, as of September, the new health care law prohibits insurance companies from dropping people’s coverage when they get sick, which is critical to giving people some peace of mind.  (Applause.)  But when news reports indicated that an insurance company was dropping the coverage of women diagnosed with breast cancer, my administration called on them to end the practice immediately -- don’t wait till September.  (Applause.)  And soon after, the entire industry announced that it would comply with the new law early and stop this perverse practice of dropping people’s insurance when they fall ill and when they need coverage the most.  (Applause.) 

     Some were also questioning whether insurance companies could find a loophole in the new law and continue to discriminate against children with preexisting conditions.  So we called on insurance companies to step up, provide coverage to our most vulnerable Americans.  And the insurance industry has agreed.

     In just two weeks, Americans denied coverage because of preexisting conditions will be able to enroll in a new national insurance pool.  And for states that opt to run their own pools -- using funds from the new law -- we’re urging them to begin enrolling people as soon as possible.  And these pools are going to provide some short-term relief, but they're temporary.  They’re going to ensure that folks who have been shut out of the market because they’ve been sick can access more affordable insurance starting right away.  But what we want is these health insurance exchanges up and running in a few years, so that, at that point, this kind of discrimination will finally be banned forever.  (Applause.)  And that’s when those -- that's when the millions without coverage, including people with preexisting conditions, will have the access to the same types of insurance plans that members of Congress get.  And you know those must be pretty good.  (Applause.)

We’re also going to be putting in place a patient’s bill of rights that will tell insurance companies that they can’t put a restrictive limit on the amount of coverage you get in your lifetime, or in a given year.  It will prevent insurance companies from rescinding your coverage when you get sick because of an administrative error.  It will provide simple and clear information to consumers about their choices and their rights.
 
And beyond making insurance more affordable and more secure, reform also will mean changes that make it easier for you -- the backbone of the health care system -- to do your jobs.  Already, over the past year, we’ve made one of the largest investments in the nursing and health workforce in recent history.  (Applause.)  We passed landmark reforms to make college more affordable, which can help more people gain a nursing degree –- even as we provide grants and aid for more than 15,000 nurses seeking graduate degrees and other training.  (Applause.)

And we’ve begun the transition to private and secure computerized health records, because this will not only reduce errors and costs -– I know you can’t read those doctors’ handwriting -- (laughter) -- it will mean you can spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork.  And that's why you got into the profession.  (Applause.)

Now, there is more work to do.  And that's why today my administration is announcing a number of investments to expand the primary care workforce.  This includes funding to allow students training part-time to become nurse practitioners to start training full-time.  (Applause.)  We want to speed up the process where folks go from the classroom into the exam room.  And we’re going to provide resources for clinics run by registered nurses and nurse practitioners.  (Applause.)

Without these nurses, many people in cities and rural areas would have no access to care at all.  Now, all of these steps are part of a larger effort to make our system work better for nurses and for doctors, and to improve the quality of care for patients.  And by focusing on primary medicine, we will finally recognize the role of all talented and skilled health care providers –- including nurses.  (Applause.)

I don’t have to tell you that nurses all too often have been given short shrift.  Even amidst a nursing shortage, when there are cutbacks, you feel the squeeze in salaries or the reduction in shifts –- despite being overworked and underpaid.  And, as you know, this disregard goes beyond numbers on a ledger.  There have been a bunch of times, I’m sure, when the service you rendered is thought to be less consequential or valuable than that of other professions.  That's what has to change. 

It’s important that we not only ensure that you have the support to do your jobs -– we’re seeking to elevate and value the work that you do, because -- (applause) -- throughout our history, nurses have done more than provide care and comfort to those in need.  Often with little power or sway on their own, nurses -- mostly women, historically -– have been a force of will and a sense of common decency, and paved the way towards better care and a more compassionate society -- from Clara Barton’s treatment of wounded soldiers at Antietam, to the advocacy of Dorothea Dix on behalf of people with mental disabilities, to the countless nurses whose names we’ll never know.

One of America’s greatest poets, Walt Whitman, also served as a nurse during the Civil War.  And the experience changed him forever.  Later, he would reflect on that time, on both the heartbreak and the fulfillment he found during those years.  And he wrote:

I thread my way through the hospitals,
The hurt and wounded I pacify with soothing hand,
I sit by the restless all the dark night,
Some are so young, some suffer so much,
I recall the experience sweet and sad

Sweet and sad.  Your jobs are tough.  Your days can be stressful and exhausting and sometimes thankless.  But through long shifts and late nights -– in the hectic scrum of the emergency room, or in those quiet acts of humanity -– you are saving lives, you are offering solace, you’re helping to make us a better nation.  And my task as President –- our task as a people –- is to ensure that our health care system is worthy of your efforts.  Our mission must be to live up to the values you uphold each and every day. 

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

END
5:45 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2010

Statement by the President After Meeting with BP Executives

State Dining Room

2:25 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just concluded a constructive meeting with BP’s chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, and I raised two issues at the meeting.  First was the containment of the oil that is still spewing into the Gulf.  As I mentioned last night, my administration has directed BP to mobilize additional equipment and technology, and in the coming days and weeks, these efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil that is leaking out of the well. 

Now, that’s not good enough.  So we will continue to press BP and draw on our best minds and resources to capture the rest of the oil until the company finishes drilling a relief well later in the summer that is expected to stop the leak completely. 

The second topic revolved around the issue of claims.  As I traveled across the Gulf I heard growing frustration over the pace at which claims had been paid.  And I also heard concerns about whether BP will make resources available to cover legitimate claims resulting from this disaster.  So this discussion today was essential.

Currently, under federal law, there is a $75 million cap on how much oil companies could under certain circumstances be required to pay for economic damages resulting from a spill such as this.  That amount obviously would be insufficient.  That’s why I'm pleased to announce that BP has agreed to set aside $20 billion to pay claims for damages resulting from this spill.

     This $20 billion will provide substantial assurance that the claims people and businesses have will be honored.  It’s also important to emphasize this is not a cap.  The people of the Gulf have my commitment that BP will meet its obligations to them.  BP has publicly pledged to make good on the claims that it owes to the people in the Gulf, and so the agreement we reached sets up a financial and legal framework to do it. 

Another important element is that this $20 billion fund will not be controlled by either BP or by the government.  It will be put in a escrow account, administered by an impartial, independent third party.  So if you or your business has suffered an economic loss as a result of this spill, you’ll be eligible to file a claim for part of this $20 billion.  This fund does not supersede either individuals’ rights or states’ rights to present claims in court.  BP will also continue to be liable for the environmental disaster it has caused, and we’re going to continue to work to make sure that they address it.

Additionally, BP voluntarily agreed to establish a $100 million fund to compensate unemployed oil rig workers affected by the closure of the deepwater rigs. 

We’ve mutually agreed that Ken Feinberg will run the independent claims process we’re putting in place.  And there will be a three-person panel to adjudicate claims that are turned down.  Every effort will be made to expedite these claims.  Ken has long experience in such matters, including running the fund that compensated the victims of 9/11.  And I’m confident he will ensure that claims are administered as quickly, as fairly, and as transparently as possible.

BP’s liabilities for this spill are significant -- and they acknowledge that fact.  We will continue to hold BP and all other responsible parties accountable.  And I’m absolutely confident BP will be able to meet its obligations to the Gulf Coast and to the American people.  BP is a strong and viable company and it is in all of our interests that it remain so.  So what this is about is accountability.  At the end of the day, that’s what every American wants and expects.

The structure we’re establishing today is an important step towards making the people of the Gulf Coast whole again, but it’s not going to turn things around overnight.  And I want all Americans to know that I will continue to fight each and every day until the oil is contained, until businesses recover, and until the Gulf Coast bounces back from this tragedy, as I know it will.

One last point.  During a private conversation with Chairman Svanberg I emphasized to him that for the families that I met with down in the Gulf, for the small business owners, for the fishermen, for the shrimpers, this is not just a matter of dollars and cents; that a lot of these folks don’t have a cushion.  They were coming off Rita and Katrina; coming off the worst economy that this country has seen since the Great Depression, and this season was going to be the season where they were going to be bouncing back.  Not only that, but this happened, from their perspective, at the worst possible time, because they’re making their entire income for the year in the three or four months during which folks can take their boats out, people are coming down for tourism. 

And so I emphasized to the chairman that when he’s talking to shareholders, when he is in meetings in his boardroom, to keep in mind those individuals; that they are desperate; that some of them, if they don’t get relief quickly, may lose businesses that have been in their families for two or three generations.  And the chairman assured me that he would keep them in mind.

That’s going to be the standard by which I measure BP’s responsiveness.  I think today was a good start, and it should provide some assurance to some of the small business owners and individuals down in the Gulf who I was visiting with that BP is going to meet its responsibilities.  But I indicated to the chairman that, throughout this process, as we work to make sure that the Gulf is made whole once again, that the standard I’m going to be applying is whether or not those individuals I met with, their family members, those communities that are vulnerable, whether they are uppermost in the minds of all concerned.  That’s who we’re doing this work for.

All right.  Thank you very much, everybody. 

END
2:33 P.M. EDT

 

** This transcript has been corrected.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2010

Declaraciones del Presidente Tras Reunión con Ejecutivos de BP

2:25 P.M. EDT
 
 
El Presidente:  Buenas tardes a todos. Acabo de tener una reunión muy constructiva con el presidente de BP, Carl-Henric Svanberg, y planteé dos temas en la reunión. En primer lugar, cómo contener el petróleo que todavía se está derramando en el Golfo. Y como dije anoche, mi gobierno ha dirigido a BP para que movilice equipo y tecnología adicional, y en los próximos días y semanas, estos esfuerzos deben captar hasta 90 por ciento del petróleo que está derramando del pozo.
 
Ahora bien, eso no es suficiente. Así que seguiremos ejerciendo presión en BP y recurriendo a nuestros mejores cerebros y recursos para captar el resto del petróleo hasta que la compañía termine de perforar un pozo de alivio a fines del verano, que se espera detenga completamente el derrame.
 
El segundo tema fue respecto a la cuestión de las reclamaciones. Cuando viajé por el Golfo escuché una creciente frustración acerca del ritmo en que se están pagando las reclamaciones. Y también escuché inquietudes de si BP pondrá los recursos a disposición para cubrir reclamaciones legítimas que resultaron de este desastre. De modo que esta conversación hoy fue crucial.
 
Actualmente, hay un tope de $75 millones en la ley federal, para el monto requerido de las compañías petroleras bajo ciertas circunstancias para que paguen por daños económicos que resulten de un derrame de este tipo. Este monto obviamente sería insuficiente. Por eso, me complace anunciar que BP ha acordado establecer un fondo de $20,000 millones para pagar reclamaciones por daños a consecuencia de este derrame.

Estos $20,000 millones proporcionarán considerable garantía de que se honrarán las reclamaciones de la gente y las empresas. También es importante enfatizar que esto no es el tope. A la gente del Golfo le di mi palabra de que BP va a cumplir con las obligaciones que tenga con ellos. BP ha prometido públicamente que indemnizará cabalmente a la gente del Golfo, de modo que el acuerdo al que llegamos establece el marco legal y financiero para hacerlo.
 
Otro elemento importante es que este fondo de $20,000 millones no será controlado ni por BP ni por el gobierno. Se pondrá en una cuenta en custodia, administrada por terceros: una entidad imparcial e independiente. Así que si su negocio ha sufrido pérdidas económicas como resultado del derrame, cumple con los requisitos para tramitar un reclamo por una parte de estos $20,000 millones. Este fondo no es impedimento para que los estados y personas ejerzan su derecho de presentar una demanda judicial. BP también seguirá siendo responsable por el desastre ambiental que ha causado y vamos a continuar trabajando para asegurarnos de que respondan por ello.
 
Asimismo, BP ha acordado voluntariamente establecer un fondo de $100 millones para compensar a los trabajadores de la plataforma petrolera que perdieron su trabajo por el cierre de las plataformas petroleras en aguas profundas.
 
Hemos acordado mutuamente que Ken Feinberg estará a cargo del proceso independiente de tramitación de reclamaciones que estamos creando. Y habrá un panel de tres personas para arbitrar las reclamaciones que se hayan rechazado. Estamos haciendo todo lo posible por procesar rápidamente esas reclamaciones. Ken tiene mucha experiencia en esta materia, incluyendo la administración del fondo que compensó a las víctimas del 11 de setiembre. Y estoy convencido de que se asegurará de que las reclamaciones se administren tan rápida, justa y transparentemente como sea posible.
 
Las responsabilidades legales de BP por este derrame son considerables, y están conscientes de ello. Seguiremos exigiendo que BP y las otras partes responsables rindan cuentas. Y estoy totalmente seguro de que BP podrá cumplir con sus obligaciones con la Costa del Golfo y con el pueblo estadounidense. BP es una compañía sólida y viable, y nos conviene a todos que siga siéndolo. Así que esto se trata de responsabilidad. Al final de cuentas, eso es lo que todo estadounidense desea y espera.
 
La estructura que estamos creando hoy es un importante paso para hacer que la gente de la Costa del Golfo vuelva a la normalidad, pero no va cambiar las cosas de la noche a la mañana. Y quiero que todos los estadounidenses sepan que seguiré luchando todos y cada día hasta que se detenga el derrame de petróleo, hasta que se recuperen los negocios, y hasta que la Costa del Golfo supere esta tragedia, algo que sé que sucederá.
 
Un último punto. Durante una conversación privada con el presidente Svanberg le enfaticé que para las familias que conocí en el Golfo, para los dueños de pequeñas empresas, para los pescadores, para los camaroneros... esto no es sólo una cuestión de dólares y centavos, que muchos de ellos no tienen ningún respaldo. Que vienen de sobrevivir Rita y Katrina, de sobrevivir la peor economía que ha visto este país desde la Gran Depresión, y esta temporada iba a ser la temporada en que se iban a recuperar. No sólo eso. Desde su perspectiva, esto pasó en el peor momento posible, porque todos sus ingresos del año dependen de los tres o cuatro meses en que la gente puede sacar su bote y la gente viene por turismo.
 
Y entonces, le recalqué al presidente que cuando hable con sus accionistas, cuando tenga reuniones de directorio, que tenga en mente a esas personas, que están desesperadas, que para algunos de ellos, si no reciben ayuda rápidamente, pueden perder el negocio que ha estado en su familia por dos o tres generaciones. Y el presidente me aseguró que tendría eso presente.
 
Ése será el estándar con el que mediré la respuesta de BP. Y creo que hoy fue un buen comienzo y les debe dar cierta seguridad a algunos de los pequeños empresarios y personas que visité en el Golfo, de que BP va a cumplir con sus obligaciones. Pero le indiqué al presidente que, en todo este proceso, mientras trabajamos para asegurar que el Golfo se recupere de nuevo, que el estándar que voy a aplicar es si esas personas con las que me reuní, sus familiares, esas vulnerables comunidades son la prioridad en la mente de todos los involucrados. Porque es por ellos que trabajamos.
 
Bueno, muchas gracias a todos.
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010

Declaraciones del Presidente a la Nación Sobre el Derrame Petrolero de BP

El Presidente: Buenas noches. En estos momentos, nuestro país enfrenta una multitud de desafíos. En el plano nacional, nuestra principal prioridad es recuperarnos y reconstruir tras una recesión que ha afectado la vida de casi todos los estadounidenses. En el plano internacional, nuestros valientes hombres y mujeres de uniforme están llevando la lucha a Al Qaida donde ésta se encuentre. Y esta noche, he regresado de un viaje a la Costa del Golfo para hablarles sobre la batalla que estamos librando contra un derrame petrolero que está atacando nuestras costas y a nuestros ciudadanos.
 
El 20 de abril, una explosión destruyó la plataforma petrolera Deepwater Horizon de BP, a unas cuarenta millas mar adentro de las costas de Luisiana. Once trabajadores perdieron la vida. Otros diecisiete quedaron heridos. Y pronto, a casi una milla debajo de la superficie del océano, se empezó a derramar un mar de petróleo en el agua.
 
Ya que nunca ha habido un derrame de esta magnitud a esta profundidad, taponarlo ha puesto a prueba los límites de la tecnología humana. Por eso, poco después del hundimiento de la plataforma petrolera, convoqué a un equipo de los mejores científicos e ingenieros de nuestro país para enfrentar este desafío, un equipo liderado por el Dr. Steven Chu, un físico ganador del Premio Nóbel y el secretario de energía de nuestro país. Científicos de nuestros laboratorios nacionales y expertos de universidades y otras compañías petroleras también han proporcionado ideas y consejos.
 
Como resultado de estos esfuerzos, hemos dirigido a BP a movilizar equipo y tecnología adicionales. En los próximos días y semanas, estos esfuerzos deben captar hasta 90% del petróleo que sale del pozo. Esto es hasta que la compañía termine de perforar un pozo de alivio durante el verano, que se espera detenga el derrame completamente.
 
Este derrame petrolero ya es el peor desastre ambiental que Estados Unidos ha enfrentado jamás. Y a diferencia de un terremoto o un huracán, no es un evento aislado que genera un daño en cuestión de minutos o días. Los millones de galones de petróleo que se derraman en el Golfo de México son más como una epidemia, contra la que vamos a tener que luchar durante meses y tal vez años.
 
Pero que no quepa duda: vamos a luchar contra este derrame con todo lo que tengamos a mano y por el tiempo que sea necesario.  Haremos que BP pague por la destrucción causada por su compañía. Y haremos lo que sea necesario para ayudar a la Costa del Golfo y a su gente a recuperarse de esta tragedia.
 
Esta noche quiero describirles cuál será nuestro plan de batalla para seguir adelante: lo que estamos haciendo para limpiar el petróleo, lo que estamos haciendo para ayudar a nuestros vecinos del Golfo, lo que estamos haciendo para asegurarnos de que una catástrofe así no vuelva a ocurrir jamás.
 
En primer lugar, la limpieza. Desde el primer momento de esta crisis, el gobierno federal ha estado a cargo del mayor esfuerzo de limpieza ambiental en la historia de nuestro país, un esfuerzo encabezado por el almirante Thad Allen, que tiene casi 40 años de experiencia en respuesta a desastres. Ahora tenemos casi 30,000 personas trabajando en cuatro estados para contener y limpiar el petróleo. Miles de barcos y otras embarcaciones están respondiendo en el Golfo. Y he autorizado la movilización de 17,000 efectivos de la Guardia Nacional a lo largo de la costa. Estos hombres y mujeres de uniforme están listos a ayudar a contener el petróleo para que no llegue a la costa, a limpiar playas,  a capacitar trabajadores en acciones de respuesta o incluso ayudar con la tramitación de las demandas. E insto a los gobernadores de los estados afectados a que activen estas tropas lo más pronto posible.
 
Gracias a nuestros esfuerzos, millones de galones de petróleo ya han sido extraídos del agua mediante la quema, la limpieza de superficie y otros métodos de recolección. Más de cinco millones y medio de pies de barreras de contención han sido colocados en el agua para bloquear y absorber el petróleo que se acerca a la costa. Hemos aprobado la construcción de nuevas islas de barrera en Luisiana para tratar de detener el petróleo antes de que llegue a la costa. Y estamos trabajando con Alabama, Mississippi y Florida para implementar creativamente sistemas que se adecúen a las características singulares de sus costas.
 
Mientras la limpieza continúa, vamos a ofrecer todo recurso y asistencia adicional que necesiten nuestros estados costeros. Ahora bien, la movilización a esta velocidad y magnitud nunca será perfecta, y siempre se suscitarán nuevos desafíos. Vi y escuché evidencia de eso durante mi viaje. Así que si algo no está funcionando, queremos saberlo. Si hay problemas en las operaciones, los solucionaremos.
 
Pero tenemos que reconocer que a pesar de nuestros mejores esfuerzos, el petróleo ya ha causado daños en la costa y la vida silvestre. Y lamentablemente, aunque nuestra respuesta sea muy eficaz, habrá más petróleo y más daños antes de que este asedio termine. Por eso, en segundo lugar, nos hemos enfocado en la recuperación y rehabilitación de la Costa del Golfo.

¿Saben? Por generaciones, los hombres y mujeres que tienen su hogar en esta región han dependido del mar para subsistir. Esta forma de subsistencia está ahora en peligro. He hablado con camaroneros y pescadores que no saben cómo van a mantener a su familia este año. He visto muelles vacíos y restaurantes con pocos clientes, incluso en zonas donde las playas aún no han sido afectadas. He conversado con los dueños de tiendas y hoteles que se preguntan cuándo volverán los turistas. La tristeza e ira que sienten no sólo es por el dinero perdido. Es por la terrible ansiedad de quizá perder su forma de vida.
 
Me rehúso a permitir que eso suceda. Mañana, me reuniré con el presidente de BP y le informaré que debe proporcionar los recursos que sean necesarios para compensar a los trabajadores y a los empresarios que han sido afectados como resultado de la imprudencia de su compañía. Y este fondo no será controlado por BP. A fin de asegurar que todas las demandas legítimas se paguen de manera pronta y justa, la cuenta debe y será administrada por terceros, una entidad independiente.
 
Además de compensar a la gente del Golfo a corto plazo, también es evidente que necesitamos un plan a largo plazo para restaurar la singular belleza y abundancia de esta región. El derrame petrolero representa sólo el último golpe asestado contra una región que ya ha sufrido múltiples desastres económicos y décadas de degradación ambiental que han llevado a la desaparición de humedales y ecosistemas. Y la región todavía no se ha recuperado de los huracanes Katrina y Rita. Por eso nuestro compromiso con la Costa del Golfo debe ir más allá de responder a la crisis del momento.
 
Yo asumo ese compromiso esta noche. Previamente, le pedí a Ray Mabus, el secretario de Marina, que también es ex gobernador de Mississippi e hijo de la Costa del Golfo, que desarrolle, tan pronto como sea posible, un plan a largo plazo para la Restauración de la Costa del Golfo. Los estados, comunidades locales, tribus, pescadores, empresas, conservacionistas y otros residentes del Golfo participarán en la formulación del plan. Y BP pagará por los daños causados en la región por el derrame.
 
La tercera parte de nuestro plan de respuesta son los pasos que estamos tomando para asegurarnos de que no vuelva a suceder un desastre de este tipo. Hace unos meses, aprobé una propuesta para considerar la posibilidad de nueva y limitada perforación en mar abierto, siempre que hubiera garantías de que fuera totalmente segura, que utilizaría la tecnología apropiada y que se tomarían las precauciones necesarias.
 
Obviamente, ése no fue el caso de la plataforma petrolera Deepwater Horizon y quiero saber por qué. El pueblo estadounidense merece saber por qué. Las familias con las que me reuní la semana pasada, que perdieron a seres queridos en la explosión, esas familias merecen saber por qué. Así que he creado una Comisión Nacional para comprender las causas de este desastre y ofrecer recomendaciones sobre estándares adicionales en materia ambiental y de seguridad que debemos poner en vigor. Ya hemos establecido una moratoria de seis meses a la perforación petrolera. Sé que esto crea dificultades para la gente que trabaja en estas plataformas petroleras, pero por su seguridad y por la seguridad de toda la región, necesitamos saber los hechos antes de permitir que continúe la perforación en aguas profundas. Y aunque exhorto a la Comisión para que termine su trabajo lo antes posible, espero que hagan su trabajo meticulosa e imparcialmente.
 
Un lugar donde ya hemos empezado a tomar medidas es en la agencia encargada de regular la perforación y el otorgamiento de permisos, conocida como el Servicio de Manejo de Minerales. En la última década, esta agencia ha encarnado una filosofía errónea que ve toda reglamentación con hostilidad, una filosofía que dice que las corporaciones deben poder establecer sus propias reglas de juego y supervisarse a sí mismas. En esta agencia, la supervisión estaba a cargo de miembros de la industria. Las compañías petroleras inundaban de regalos y favores a los reguladores, y esencialmente, se les permitía realizar sus propias inspecciones y escribir sus propios reglamentos.
 
Cuando Ken Salazar asumió el cargo de secretario del Interior, una de sus primeras medidas fue limpiar la peor corrupción en esta agencia. Pero ahora está claro que los problemas eran mucho más profundos y que el ritmo de la reforma era demasiado lento. Y entonces, el secretario Salazar y yo hemos traído un nuevo jefe a esta agencia, Michael Bromwich, que fue un firme fiscal federal e inspector general. Su misión en los próximos meses será construir una organización que actúe como supervisor de la industria petrolera, no como su socio.
 
Entonces una de las lecciones que hemos aprendido de este derrame es que necesitamos mejores reglamentos, mejores estándares de seguridad y mejor vigilancia en lo que respecta a la perforación en mar abierto. Pero una lección aun más importante es que no importa cuánto mejoremos nuestra reglamentación de la industria, porque la perforación de petróleo en estos días conlleva mayores riesgos. Después de todo, el petróleo es un recurso finito. Consumimos más de 20% del petróleo del mundo, pero tenemos menos de 2% de las reservas petroleras del mundo. Y en parte, ésa es la razón por la cual las compañías petroleras están perforando una milla por debajo de la superficie del mar, porque ya se nos están agotando los lugares donde perforar en tierra o en aguas poco profundas.

Durante décadas hemos sabido que los días del petróleo barato y accesible estaban contados. Durante décadas hemos dicho una y otra vez que Estados Unidos necesita acabar con su adicción de todo un siglo a los hidrocarburos. Y durante décadas, no hemos logrado actuar con la urgencia necesaria para enfrentar este reto. Una y otra vez, los cabilderos de la industria petrolera y también la falta de franqueza y valentía política han impedido que siguiéramos avanzando.
 
Las consecuencias de esa falta de acción ahora se ven a simple vista. Países como la China están invirtiendo en trabajos e industrias de energía limpia que deberían existir aquí en Estados Unidos. Cada día, enviamos casi $1,000 millones de nuestra riqueza a países extranjeros a cambio de su petróleo. Y hoy, mirando hacia el Golfo, vemos todo un estilo de vida amenazado por una nube negra de crudo.

No podemos heredarles ese futuro a nuestros hijos. La tragedia que está ocurriendo en nuestras costas es el recordatorio más doloroso y convincente de que ahora es el momento de optar por un futuro basado en la energía limpia. Ahora es el momento de que esta generación emprenda  la misión nacional de dar rienda suelta a la innovación de Estados Unidos y tomar control de nuestro propio destino.
 
Ésta no es una visión lejana para Estados Unidos. La transición a los hidrocarburos tomará tiempo, pero durante el último año y medio ya hemos tomado acciones sin precedente para impulsar la industria de energía limpia. En este momento,  se están reabriendo antiguas fábricas para producir turbinas eólicas, hay gente volviendo a trabajar en la instalación de ventanas para el uso eficiente de energía, y pequeñas empresas están produciendo paneles solares. Los consumidores están comprando autos y camiones de mejor millaje, y las familias están haciendo que sus hogares usen energía más eficientemente. Los científicos e investigadores están descubriendo tecnologías de energía limpia que algún día llevarán a la creación de nuevas industrias.
 
Cada uno de nosotros desempeña un papel en un futuro nuevo que nos beneficia a todos. A medida que nos recuperamos de esta recesión, la transición a la energía limpia tiene el potencial de hacer que nuestra economía crezca y de crear millones de trabajos, pero sólo si aceleramos esa transición. Sólo si aprovechamos esta coyuntura. Y sólo si nos unimos como una nación: trabajadores y empresarios; científicos y ciudadanos;  el sector público y el sector privado.
 
Como candidato a este puesto, presenté una serie de principios que llevarían a nuestro país hacia la independencia energética. El año pasado, la Cámara de Representantes aplicó estos principios aprobando un proyecto de ley integral sobre la energía y el cambio climático, un proyecto de ley que finalmente hace que la energía limpia sea un tipo de energía rentable para las empresas estadounidenses.
 
Bueno, hay costos asociados con esta transición. Y algunos creen que no podemos cubrir esos costos ahora. Yo digo que no podemos darnos el lujo de no cambiar cómo producimos y utilizamos energía, porque los costos a largo plazo para nuestra economía, nuestra seguridad nacional y nuestro medio ambiente son mucho mayores.
 
Con gusto consideraré otras ideas y perspectivas de cualquier partido, siempre que traten seriamente el problema de nuestra adicción a los hidrocarburos. Algunos han sugerido elevar los estándares de eficiencia en nuestros edificios tal como lo hemos hecho con nuestros autos y camiones. Algunos creen que debemos establecer estándares para asegurar que un mayor porcentaje de nuestra electricidad provenga de energía solar y eólica. Otros se preguntan por qué la industria energética sólo gasta una fracción de lo que gasta la industria de alta tecnología en investigación y desarrollo. Quiero elevar rápidamente nuestras inversiones en ese tipo de investigación y desarrollo.
 
Todos estos enfoques merecen ser llevados a consideración en los próximos meses. El camino que no aceptaré es la inacción. La única respuesta que no aceptaré es la idea de que este reto es demasiado grande y difícil para poderlo superar.  Saben, lo mismo se dijo de nuestra capacidad de producir suficientes aviones y tanques en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Lo mismo se dijo de nuestra habilidad de aprovechar la ciencia y la tecnología para llevar a un hombre a salvo a la superficie lunar. Pero una y otra vez nos hemos rehusado a aceptar los modestos límites del conocimiento convencional.  En vez, lo que nos ha definido como país desde la fundación, ha sido nuestra capacidad de forjar nuestro propio destino, nuestra determinación de luchar por el Estados Unidos que anhelamos para nuestros hijos. Aun si no estamos totalmente seguros de la forma que tendrá, aun si no sabemos con precisión como llegar ahí, sabemos que llegaremos.
 
Lo que nos sostiene como pueblo es la fe en el futuro. Esa misma fe sostiene a nuestros vecinos del Golfo en este momento. 
 
Cada año al comienzo de la temporada de camarones, los pescadores de la región participan en una tradición traída a Estados Unidos por pescadores inmigrantes de Europa hace mucho tiempo.  Se conoce como la “Bendición de la Flota” y hoy en día es una celebración en la cual clérigos de distintas religiones se reúnen para ofrecer una oración por la seguridad y el éxito de los hombres y mujeres que pronto saldrán a alta mar, algunos en jornadas que duran varias semanas.
 
La ceremonia se lleva a cabo en tiempos buenos y malos. Se llevó a cabo tras Katrina, y se realizó hace pocas semanas, al comienzo de la temporada más difícil que jamás han enfrentado estos pescadores.
 
Pero igual, llegaron y rezaron. Pues como lo dijo un ex-pescador y sacerdote refiriéndose a la tradición, “la bendición no es que Dios haya prometido eliminar todos los obstáculos y los peligros. La bendición es que Él siempre está con nosotros”. Es una bendición que se ofrece “...aun en medio de la tormenta”.
 
El derrame de petróleo no es la última crisis que enfrentará Estados Unidos. Esta nación ha conocido épocas difíciles en su pasado y seguramente las volveremos a vivir. Lo que nos permite superarlas, lo que siempre lo ha hecho posible, es nuestra fortaleza, nuestra resistencia, nuestra fe inquebrantable de que nos espera algo mejor si encontramos la valentía para intentarlo. Esta noche, rezamos por esa valentía, rezamos por el pueblo del Golfo, y rezamos por que una mano nos guíe a través de la tormenta hacia un futuro mejor. Gracias, que Dios los bendiga, y que Dios bendiga a los Estados Unidos de América.
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010

Remarks by the President to the Nation on the BP Oil Spill

Oval Office

8:01 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  As we speak, our nation faces a multitude of challenges.  At home, our top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has touched the lives of nearly every American.  Abroad, our brave men and women in uniform are taking the fight to al Qaeda wherever it exists.  And tonight, I’ve returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast to speak with you about the battle we’re waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens.

On April 20th, an explosion ripped through BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana.  Eleven workers lost their lives.  Seventeen others were injured.  And soon, nearly a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, oil began spewing into the water.

Because there has never been a leak this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology.  That’s why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge -- a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s Secretary of Energy.  Scientists at our national labs and experts from academia and other oil companies have also provided ideas and advice.

As a result of these efforts, we’ve directed BP to mobilize additional equipment and technology.  And in the coming weeks and days, these efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the well.  This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well later in the summer that’s expected to stop the leak completely. 

Already, this oil spill is the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced.  And unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it’s not a single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days.  The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years. 

But make no mistake:  We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes.  We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused.  And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy. 

Tonight I’d like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going forward:  what we’re doing to clean up the oil, what we’re doing to help our neighbors in the Gulf, and what we’re doing to make sure that a catastrophe like this never happens again. 

First, the cleanup.  From the very beginning of this crisis, the federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental cleanup effort in our nation’s history -- an effort led by Admiral Thad Allen, who has almost 40 years of experience responding to disasters.  We now have nearly 30,000 personnel who are working across four states to contain and clean up the oil.  Thousands of ships and other vessels are responding in the Gulf.  And I’ve authorized the deployment of over 17,000 National Guard members along the coast.  These servicemen and women are ready to help stop the oil from coming ashore, they’re ready to help clean the beaches, train response workers, or even help with processing claims -- and I urge the governors in the affected states to activate these troops as soon as possible. 

Because of our efforts, millions of gallons of oil have already been removed from the water through burning, skimming and other collection methods.  Over five and a half million feet of boom has been laid across the water to block and absorb the approaching oil.  We’ve approved the construction of new barrier islands in Louisiana to try to stop the oil before it reaches the shore, and we’re working with Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to implement creative approaches to their unique coastlines. 

As the cleanup continues, we will offer whatever additional resources and assistance our coastal states may need.  Now, a mobilization of this speed and magnitude will never be perfect, and new challenges will always arise.  I saw and heard evidence of that during this trip.  So if something isn’t working, we want to hear about it.  If there are problems in the operation, we will fix them. 

But we have to recognize that despite our best efforts, oil has already caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife.  And sadly, no matter how effective our response is, there will be more oil and more damage before this siege is done.  That’s why the second thing we’re focused on is the recovery and restoration of the Gulf Coast. 

You know, for generations, men and women who call this region home have made their living from the water.  That living is now in jeopardy.  I’ve talked to shrimpers and fishermen who don’t know how they’re going to support their families this year.  I’ve seen empty docks and restaurants with fewer customers -– even in areas where the beaches are not yet affected.  I’ve talked to owners of shops and hotels who wonder when the tourists might start coming back.  The sadness and the anger they feel is not just about the money they’ve lost.  It’s about a wrenching anxiety that their way of life may be lost. 

I refuse to let that happen.  Tomorrow, I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company’s recklessness.  And this fund will not be controlled by BP.  In order to ensure that all legitimate claims are paid out in a fair and timely manner, the account must and will be administered by an independent third party. 

Beyond compensating the people of the Gulf in the short term, it’s also clear we need a long-term plan to restore the unique beauty and bounty of this region.  The oil spill represents just the latest blow to a place that’s already suffered multiple economic disasters and decades of environmental degradation that has led to disappearing wetlands and habitats.  And the region still hasn’t recovered from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  That’s why we must make a commitment to the Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment. 

I make that commitment tonight.  Earlier, I asked Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, who is also a former governor of Mississippi and a son of the Gulf Coast, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan as soon as possible.  The plan will be designed by states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists and other Gulf residents.  And BP will pay for the impact this spill has had on the region.  

The third part of our response plan is the steps we’re taking to ensure that a disaster like this does not happen again.  A few months ago, I approved a proposal to consider new, limited offshore drilling under the assurance that it would be absolutely safe –- that the proper technology would be in place and the necessary precautions would be taken.

That obviously was not the case in the Deepwater Horizon rig, and I want to know why.  The American people deserve to know why.  The families I met with last week who lost their loved ones in the explosion -- these families deserve to know why.  And so I’ve established a National Commission to understand the causes of this disaster and offer recommendations on what additional safety and environmental standards we need to put in place.  Already, I’ve issued a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.  I know this creates difficulty for the people who work on these rigs, but for the sake of their safety, and for the sake of the entire region, we need to know the facts before we allow deepwater drilling to continue.  And while I urge the Commission to complete its work as quickly as possible, I expect them to do that work thoroughly and impartially.       

One place we’ve already begun to take action is at the agency in charge of regulating drilling and issuing permits, known as the Minerals Management Service.  Over the last decade, this agency has become emblematic of a failed philosophy that views all regulation with hostility -- a philosophy that says corporations should be allowed to play by their own rules and police themselves.  At this agency, industry insiders were put in charge of industry oversight.  Oil companies showered regulators with gifts and favors, and were essentially allowed to conduct their own safety inspections and write their own regulations.  

When Ken Salazar became my Secretary of the Interior, one of his very first acts was to clean up the worst of the corruption at this agency.  But it’s now clear that the problem there ran much deeper, and the pace of reform was just too slow.  And so Secretary Salazar and I are bringing in new leadership at the agency -- Michael Bromwich, who was a tough federal prosecutor and Inspector General.  And his charge over the next few months is to build an organization that acts as the oil industry’s watchdog -- not its partner. 

So one of the lessons we’ve learned from this spill is that we need better regulations, better safety standards, and better enforcement when it comes to offshore drilling.  But a larger lesson is that no matter how much we improve our regulation of the industry, drilling for oil these days entails greater risk.  After all, oil is a finite resource.  We consume more than 20 percent of the world’s oil, but have less than 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves.  And that’s part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean -- because we’re running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water. 

For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered.  For decades, we’ve talked and talked about the need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels.  And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires.  Time and again, the path forward has been blocked -- not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.  

The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight.  Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be right here in America.  Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil.  And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude.

We cannot consign our children to this future.  The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.  Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash America’s innovation and seize control of our own destiny.

This is not some distant vision for America.  The transition away from fossil fuels is going to take some time, but over the last year and a half, we’ve already taken unprecedented action to jumpstart the clean energy industry.  As we speak, old factories are reopening to produce wind turbines, people are going back to work installing energy-efficient windows, and small businesses are making solar panels.  Consumers are buying more efficient cars and trucks, and families are making their homes more energy-efficient.  Scientists and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that someday will lead to entire new industries. 

Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of us.  As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs -– but only if we accelerate that transition.  Only if we seize the moment.  And only if we rally together and act as one nation –- workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors.  
When I was a candidate for this office, I laid out a set of principles that would move our country towards energy independence.  Last year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill –- a bill that finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America’s businesses. 

Now, there are costs associated with this transition.  And there are some who believe that we can’t afford those costs right now.  I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy -– because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater. 

So I’m happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party -– as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels.  Some have suggested raising efficiency standards in our buildings like we did in our cars and trucks.  Some believe we should set standards to ensure that more of our electricity comes from wind and solar power.  Others wonder why the energy industry only spends a fraction of what the high-tech industry does on research and development -– and want to rapidly boost our investments in such research and development.   

All of these approaches have merit, and deserve a fair hearing in the months ahead.  But the one approach I will not accept is inaction.  The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is somehow too big and too difficult to meet.  You know, the same thing was said about our ability to produce enough planes and tanks in World War II.  The same thing was said about our ability to harness the science and technology to land a man safely on the surface of the moon.  And yet, time and again, we have refused to settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom.  Instead, what has defined us as a nation since our founding is the capacity to shape our destiny -– our determination to fight for the America we want for our children.  Even if we’re unsure exactly what that looks like.  Even if we don’t yet know precisely how we’re going to get there.  We know we’ll get there.   

It’s a faith in the future that sustains us as a people.  It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now.        

Each year, at the beginning of shrimping season, the region’s fishermen take part in a tradition that was brought to America long ago by fishing immigrants from Europe.  It’s called “The Blessing of the Fleet,” and today it’s a celebration where clergy from different religions gather to say a prayer for the safety and success of the men and women who will soon head out to sea -– some for weeks at a time. 
The ceremony goes on in good times and in bad.  It took place after Katrina, and it took place a few weeks ago –- at the beginning of the most difficult season these fishermen have ever faced. 

And still, they came and they prayed.  For as a priest and former fisherman once said of the tradition, “The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers.  The blessing is that He is with us always,” a blessing that’s granted “even in the midst of the storm.” 

The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face.  This nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them again.  What sees us through -– what has always seen us through –- is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it.

Tonight, we pray for that courage.  We pray for the people of the Gulf.  And we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a brighter day.  Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

END
8:18 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010

Remarks by the President at an Event with Military Personnel in Pensacola, Florida

Naval Air Station Pensacola’s
Naval Air Technical Training Center
Pensacola, Florida

10:25 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, hello, Pensacola!  (Applause.)  It is great to be here.  I want everybody, first of all, to give a big round of applause to Chief Elison Talabong for leading us in the pledge and singing our National Anthem -- (applause) -- to Lieutenant Commander Randy Ekstrom for the wonderful invocation.  (Applause.)

I want to thank your outstanding local leaders for welcoming me here today, including Captains Chris Plummer, Mike Price and Brad Martin.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And your great senior enlisted leaders, including Master Chief Mike Dollen, give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

I want to thank all the spouses and families who are joining us here today.  You hold our military families together, so we honor your service as well.

It is great to be here in Pensacola -- America’s oldest naval air station, “the cradle of naval aviation.”  We’ve got Navy -- all the students of the Naval Air Technical Training Center.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Training Wing Six, maybe a few Blue Angels.  We’ve got the United States Marines in the house -- (applause) -- maybe a few Air Force and Army, too.  (Applause.)  

Now, I don’t know how many could be here, because they’re out there on the water right now, responding to the spill -- but I want to thank all the folks at Coast Guard Station Pensacola for their outstanding work.  (Applause.)  And I know somebody who is especially proud of them, and that’s the former Commandant of the Coast Guard who postponed his retirement to answer his country’s call once more and coordinate the federal response effort to the spill -- and that’s Admiral Thad Allen.  Please give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Now, I was just down at the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier, at the Fish Sandwich Snack Bar.  Now, I don’t know if any of you ever checked it out.  It’s a nice spot.  We were there with some of Florida’s state and local leaders to discuss the situation here.  I want to acknowledge the hard work that’s being done by the governor of Florida, Charlie Crist; Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink; Senators Bill Nelson, George LeMieux, representatives who are here today -- we got Jeff Miller and Corrine Brown and Ted Deutch.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

We’ve got Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson and Pensacola Mayor Mike Wiggins.  Thank you very much for your outstanding efforts.  (Applause.)

I know all of you join me in thanking these leaders and their communities -- because they’re your neighbors -- for the incredible support that they give all the men and women and your families here in Pensacola.  So we’re grateful to you.

But this is my fourth visit to the Gulf Coast since the start of this spill.  Yesterday, I was over in Gulfport, Mississippi; Theodore, Alabama; and now Pensacola -- assessing the situation, reviewing the response, seeing what needs to be done better and faster, and talking with folks -- whether fishermen or small business people and their families -- who are seeing their lives turned upside-down by this disaster. 

Here in Pensacola, the beautiful beaches are still open.  The sand is white and the water is blue.  So folks who are looking for a good vacation, they can still come down to Pensacola.  People need to know that Pensacola is still open for business.  But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t angry.  That doesn’t mean that people aren’t scared.  That doesn’t mean that people have concerns about the future -- we all have those concerns.  And people have every right to be angry.

Those plumes of oil are off the coast.  The fishing waters are closed.  Tar balls have been coming ashore.  And everybody is bracing for more.

So I’ll say today what I’ve been saying up and down the Coast over the last couple of days and over the last month.  Yes, this is an unprecedented environmental disaster -- it’s the worst in our nation’s history.  But we’re going to continue to meet it with an unprecedented federal response and recovery effort -- the largest in our nation’s history.  This is an assault on our shores, and we’re going to fight back with everything we’ve got.
 
And that includes mobilizing the resources of the greatest military in the world.  (Applause.)  Here at Naval Air Station Pensacola, you’ve been one of the major staging areas.  You’ve helped to support the response effort.  And I thank you for that, and I know the people of Pensacola thank you for that.  And all along the Gulf coast, our men and women in uniform -- active, Guard, and Reserve -- from across the country are stepping up and helping out. 

They’re soldiers on the beaches putting out sandbags and building barriers and cleaning up the oil, and helping people process their claims for compensation from BP.  They’re sailors and Marines offering their ships and their skimmers and their helicopters and miles of boom.  They’re airmen overhead, flying in equipment and spraying dispersant.  And, of course, there are Coast Guardsmen and women on the cutters, in the air, working around the clock.

And when I say this is the largest response of its kind in American history, I mean it.  We’ve got more than 5,000 vessels on site -- skimmers, tugs, barges, dozens of aircraft.  More than 27,000 personnel are on the scene, fighting this every day, putting out millions of feet of boom and cleaning the shores.

All told, we’ve authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guardsmen to respond to this crisis.  So far, only about 1,600 have been activated.  That leaves a lot of Guardsmen ready to help.  And if our governors call on them, I know they’ll be ready, because they’re always ready.    

So I want the people of this region to know that my administration is going to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to deal with this disaster.  That includes the additional actions I announced yesterday to make sure that seafood from the Gulf is safe to eat.  It includes steps we’ve taken to protect the safety of workers involved in the cleanup.  It includes the new command structure I announced this morning to make sure states and local communities like Pensacola have the autonomy and the resources that they need to go forward.  

And that includes something else -- making sure BP pays for the damages that it has caused -- (applause) -- because this isn’t just an environmental disaster.  For many families and communities, it’s an economic disaster.  Here in Pensacola and the Panhandle, tourism is everything.  And when the tourists stay home, it ripples out and hits folks across these communities -- the charter boats, the hotels, the restaurants, the roadside stores, the shops, the suppliers, the dive shops.  And if your inland waters are contaminated -- if the bays and bayous are contaminated -- it could be devastating, changing the way of life down here for years to come. 

I’m going to speak to the nation tonight about this.  But let me say to the people of Pensacola and the Gulf Coast:  I am with you, my administration is with you for the long haul to make sure BP pays for the damage that it has done and to make sure that you are getting the help you need to protect this beautiful coast and to rehabilitate the damaged areas, to revitalize this region, and to make sure that nothing like this happens ever again.  That is a commitment I am making to the people of Florida and people all across this Gulf. 

Now, that spirit -- (applause) -- that spirit of resolve and determination and resilience, that’s the same spirit we see in all of you, the men and women in uniform, the spirit we’ll need to meet other challenges of our time.  Obviously the news has been dominated lately by the oil spill, but our nation is at war and all of you have stepped forward.  You volunteered.  You took an oath.  You stood tall and you said, “I will serve.” 

And here at Pensacola, you’re carrying on the proud tradition of naval aviation that spans a century.  Here at the Barrancas National Cemetery, our heroes from yesterday’s wars are still inspiring us.  And like generations before you, you’re no strangers to sacrifice.  Our prayers are with the families and friends of the crews that you lost in that training exercise two months ago.  Today, we send out our thoughts and prayers to all the folks from Pensacola on the frontlines at this very moment, including Iraq and Afghanistan.  They are making us incredibly proud.

And so are you.  As naval aviators and naval flight officers, you’ll soon earn your “Wings of Gold.”  Many of you will prove yourselves as indispensable air crews -- the mechanics, the engineers, the electricians, the maintenance crews -- people’s lives depending on what you do each and every day.

I know you’re looking ahead to your first operational tours -- to join the fleet and your squadrons.  And within weeks, some of you may find yourselves serving on a carrier deck in the Arabian Sea or working a busy flight line in Afghanistan.  And as you begin your careers, as you look ahead to a life of service, I want you to know -- on behalf of the American people -- that your nation thanks you, your nation appreciates you, your nation will stand with you every step of the way.

And as your Commander-in-Chief, I want you to know something:  I will not hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests.  But I will also never risk your lives unless it’s absolutely necessary.  And if it is necessary, we are going to back you up to the hilt with the strategy and the clear mission and the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done right.  That’s my promise to every one of you, every man and woman who wears America’s uniform.

That includes the right strategy in Iraq, where we’re partnering with the Iraqi people for their long-term security and prosperity.  And thanks to the honor and the heroism of our troops, we are poised to end our combat mission in Iraq this summer -- on schedule.  (Applause.) 

As we end the war in Iraq, we’re pressing forward in Afghanistan.  We’re working to break the momentum of the Taliban insurgency and train Afghan security forces, strengthen the capacity of the Afghan government and protect the Afghan people. 

We will disrupt and dismantle and ultimately defeat al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates.  (Applause.)  And we will support the aspirations of people around the world as they seek progress and opportunity and prosperity, because that’s what we do -- as Americans.

As you meet the missions we ask of you, we’re going to make sure you’re trained and equipped to succeed.  That’s why we halted reductions in the Navy.  That’s why we increased the size of the Marine Corps.  That’s why we’re investing in the capabilities and technologies of tomorrow.  And as we come up on the 100th anniversary of naval aviation next year, we’re committed to the next generation of aircraft.  We’re going to keep you the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military that the world has ever known.  (Applause.)

Some of that is about technology.  But the most important thing in our military is our people -- it’s all of you.  And as you advance through the ranks and start families of your own, we want to be there for your loved ones, too.  This is one of the defining missions of the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  On Sunday, she visited the Navy-Marine Corps team and their families at Camp Pendleton.  And they had a tough week, because five outstanding Marines from Pendleton gave their lives last week in Afghanistan.  During her visit, Michelle had a message for their families and for all military families:  America is going to keep faith with you, too.

When a loved one goes to war, that family goes to war.  That’s why we’re working to improve family readiness and increase pay and benefits, working to give you more time between deployments, increasing support to help spouses and families deal with the stresses and the separation of war. 

But this can’t be the work of government alone.  As Michelle has been saying, 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans need to be supporting our men and women and their families in uniform.  You guys shouldn’t be carrying the entire burden.  That’s why Michelle is challenging every sector of American society to support our military families -- not just now, with our nation at war, but at every stage of your lives.

So we’re improving care for our wounded warriors, especially those with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.  We’re funding the Post-9/11 GI Bill -- to give you and your families the chance to pursue your dreams.  We’ve made a historic commitment to our veterans with one of the largest percentage increases to the VA budget in the past 30 years.

Those are concrete actions we’ve taken to meet the commitment I have to you and that the American people have to you.  Because you’ve always taken care of America, America needs to take care of you.  And that’s my main message here today.  We’re all in this together.  In our country, there isn’t a “military world” and a “civilian world.”  We’re all Americans.  There’s not Democrats and Republicans, when you take the long view -- we’re all Americans.  We all rise and fall together.  And we all need to do our part to get through the challenges we face as a people.

So, yes, we’re emerging from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Too many folks are still out of work here in Florida and around the country.  Yes, we’re a nation at war with adversaries who will stop at nothing to strike our homeland and would kill innocent people, women and children, with no compunction.  Yes, we’re now battling the worst economic -- environmental disaster in American history.  Any one of these challenges alone would test our country.  Confronting them all at once might overwhelm a lesser nation. 

But look around you.  Look at the person standing next to you.  You look around and you see the strength and resilience that will carry us through.

You look at this installation and the forts that have stood watch over this bay and its people for centuries -- through the rise and fall of empires, through a terrible Civil War -- and as a nation healed itself, we became a beacon to the world.   We’ve endured.

All of these men and women in uniform, all of you represent the same spirit of service and sacrifice as those who’ve gone before -- who defeated fascism, defeated tyranny, prevailed in a long Cold War over communism.  And now, in our time, you’ve toppled regimes based on terror and dictatorship, and you’ve given new hope to millions of people.  You’ve earned your place among the greatest of generations.

And look at the people of this city and this region -- fishermen who’ve made their lives on the water, families who’ve lived here for generations, hardworking folks who’ve had to endure more than their share -- tough economic times and hurricanes and storms that forced so many families and communities to start over from scratch.  But they never gave up.  They started over, and they rebuilt stronger than before.

As Americans, we don’t quit.  We keep coming.  None of these challenges we’re facing are going to be easy.  None of them are going to be quick, but make no mistake, the United States of America has gone through tough times before and we always come out stronger.  And we will do so again.  (Applause.)

And this city and this region will recover.  It will thrive again.  And America’s military will prevail in the mission to keep our country safe.  And our nation will endure from these trials stronger than before.  (Applause.)  That is the history of the United States of America.  That is the legacy of our Armed Forces.  And I promise you that we will not falter. 

Past generations have passed on this precious gift to us, and future generations are depending on us.  And as I look out on each and every one of your faces, I’m absolutely confident that you will meet that challenge.

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

END
10:48 A.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010

Remarks by the President After a Briefing with Admiral Thad Allen and Local Officials on the BP Oil Spill

Fish Sandwich Snack Bar
Pensacola, Florida

9:48 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  We just had a very useful discussion, and I want to thank Governor Crist and the congressional delegation, as well as our owner here, Mike Pinzone, of this wonderful facility overlooking this beautiful beach.  I want to also thank the mayor of Pensacola for his hospitality.

What we’ve done is to try to find out from local business owners, local officials, as well as state officials like Alex Sink and Senator LeMieux and others, how the response can be most effective here specifically in Florida.  And when you look out over this unbelievable beach, one of the things that you can see is that so far at least this beach has not been affected. 

This is a still place that’s open for business and welcoming so vacationers and people can have a wonderful holiday here.  And I know the mayor wants to emphasize that.  But there are obviously fears about the oil that is offshore. 

And what we emphasized was that we’re going to be doing everything we can -- make sure that there are skimmers out, there are booms out, and a response to keep the oil offshore.  But even if we do the best possible job on that, what the mayor described, what Mike described as a local business owner here, is that they’re still being affected by perceptions -- that business has dropped off as much as 40 percent in this area.  And that has an impact on the entire economy.  You saw the same thing yesterday when we were in Alabama and Mississippi.

So a couple of things that we’ve done.  Number one, to make sure that there is a nimble and effective local response, Thad Allen has now assigned deputy incident commanders to each of the individual states, so Florida will have its own deputy incident commander, as Mississippi and Alabama do.

In addition to the sites in Houma and in Mobile, we’re also going to set up an incident management team in Tallahassee, here in Florida.  All this is designed to make sure that on the federal response we are able to work and make decisions at a local level in response to the suggestions of people who know the communities best and know the waters best.  And my expectation is, is that we’re going to see a lot of good ideas coming from the local area that we can implement right away, as opposed to waiting until it goes all the way to the top.

But the other thing that we’re hearing here is the same thing we heard yesterday, which is businesses need help right now.  I’m going to be addressing this this evening, the issue of how we can make sure that claims to businesses that have been affected are responded to quickly and fairly.

I’ll be meeting with BP chairmen and officials tomorrow to discuss the stories that I’ve heard from people like Mike.  Mike has put in all the paperwork.  In fact, he has documented more than amply the fact that his business has been deeply affected by this crisis, but he hasn’t received the compensation that he needs to make sure that his business stays open. 

And I told Mike -- and I want every business person here in Florida to know -- that I will be their fierce advocate in making sure that they are getting the compensation they need to get through what is going to be a difficult season.  But what I described for them is the fact that if we can get through this season, cap this well, mitigate the damage -- we’re not going to eliminate it completely; there’s going to be damage to the shoreline -- but if we can reduce it as much as possible, help businesses get through this season, clean it up, by the time we get to next season there’s no reason why this beach behind us is not going to be as beautiful as ever, and Pensacola and other coastline communities across Florida won’t be thriving as they always have.

So the key right now is just to make sure that people like Mike are helped, that they’re able to get through what’s going to be a tough time.  And I told him and I told the governor and all the other Florida officials here that we’re not going to go away.  We’re just going to keep on at this until we are able to not only get back to normal, but maybe even get better than it was before this crisis.

So I appreciate everybody’s input, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on this enormous challenge.

END
9:53 A.M. CDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
June 14, 2010

Remarks by the President After Touring Theodore Staging Facility

Theodore Staging Facility, Theodore, Alabama

3:05 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just had to -- a chance to tour this staging facility here at Theodore along with Admiral Allen and Governor Riley.  I also want to acknowledge that Congressman Jo Bonner and a number of our elected officials are here and they just received an extensive briefing about what is taking place. 
 
It is from this staging area and 16 others like it all across the Gulf Coast that our response to the oil spill is being carried out.  I saw and many of you had an opportunity to see what is being done to repair and decontaminate boom, to train volunteers, and to help with the cleanup efforts.  And their hard work and their sense of purpose on behalf of the people of Alabama as well as the Gulf Coast is inspiring.
 
I had a chance during the discussions with the state and local officials to reiterate to them what I've been saying all across the coast, and that is that we want to coordinate at every level -- federal, state, and local -- to make sure that we are leaving no stone unturned in terms of our ability to respond to this crisis. 
 
Now, what I've heard from a number of local officials during my trip today is what I’ve heard from folks on each of the four visits that I’ve made to this region since the Deepwater Horizon explosion happened in April.  There’s a sense that this disaster is not only threatening our fishermen and our shrimpers and our oystermen, not only affecting potentially precious marshes and wetlands and estuaries and waters that are part of what makes the Gulf Coast so special -- there’s also a fear that it can have a long-term impact on a way of life that has been passed on for generations.
 
And I understand that fear.  The leaders and the officials who are with me understand it.  Governor Riley understands it.  He has been a regular presence on our daily coordinating calls, and a relentless advocate for Alabama throughout this process.  And we are absolutely committed to working with him and all the local officials who are behind us to do everything in our power to protect the Gulf way of life so that it’s there for our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.
 
Now, everybody here has had experiences dealing with disasters.  As we were flying over from Mississippi via helicopter, you could see the footprints of buildings that had been decimated from Katrina.  But in some ways what we're dealing with here is unique because it's not simply one catastrophic event.  It’s an ongoing assault whose movements are constantly changing.  That's what makes this crisis so challenging.  It means that it has to be constantly watched.  It has to be tracked.  We're constantly having to redeploy resources to make sure that they're having maximum impact.  And we also need to make sure that we are constantly helping folks who have been hurt by it, even as we're stopping the oil from spreading into more and more areas.
 
So that means that this response effort has to happen on a bunch of different tracks.  It means containing as much of the oil as we can as quick as we can.  After seeing an initial oil collection plan from BP, we went back to them and said that they need to move faster and more aggressively.  And they have now come back with a plan to accelerate steps to contain over 50,000 barrels a day by the end of June, two weeks earlier than they had originally suggested.  Their revised plan also includes steps to better prepare against extreme weather events and other unforeseen circumstances in the months ahead, addressing another one of our concerns.  And we’re going to continue to hold BP and any other responsible parties accountable for the disaster that they created.
 
Dealing with the aftermath of this spill also means protecting the health and safety of the folks who live and work here in Theodore, here in Alabama, and here on the Gulf Coast.  As part of this effort, I’m announcing a comprehensive, coordinated, and multi-agency initiative to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat.  Now, I had some of that seafood for lunch and it was delicious.  But we want to make sure that the food industry down here as much as possible is getting the protect -- the protection and the certification that they need to continue their businesses.  So this is important for consumers who need to know that their food is safe, but it's also important for the fishermen and processors, who need to be able to sell their products with confidence.
 
So, let me be clear:  Seafood from the Gulf today is safe to eat.  But we need to make sure that it stays that way.  And that’s why, beyond closing off waters that have been or are likely to be exposed to oil, the FDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are increasing inspections of seafood processors, strengthening surveillance programs, and monitoring fish that are caught just outside of restricted areas.  And we’re also coordinating our efforts with the states, which are implementing similar plans.
 
These safety measures are on top of steps that we’ve taken to protect workers who are involved in the cleanup efforts.  And part of the training that you observed here today involves making sure that workers are sticking to the protocols that are put in place so that when they are out there on the waters or here on land working with potentially toxic materials, that they're taking that seriously and that they're not cutting corners on safety, because we don't want tragedies on top of the tragedy that we're already seeing.
 
Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are inspecting all the staging areas like this one.  They're boarding vessels off the coast to make sure that BP is complying with its safety obligations.  If they see a problem, they’ll work with BP to resolve it as quickly as possible.  And we’re also monitoring air and water across the Gulf Coast for hazardous chemicals and pollutants that could endanger oil spill workers or anybody else, so we can act swiftly should any health risks arise.
 
Now, these health and safety measures are just part of our overall effort to deal with the spill.  All in all, we are confronting the largest environmental disaster in our history with the largest environmental response and recovery effort in our history.  Over 27,000 personnel are working to safeguard our coasts and protect endangered wildlife.  More than 5,400 skimmers, tugs, barges and other vessels -- some of which you saw as we came into this facility -- are currently responding to the spill.  Over 2 million feet of containment boom and over 3 million feet of absorbent boom are being used to contain the spill, and millions of more feet are available.
 
In addition, we have authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guardsmen and women to assist in the response effort.  So far, only about 1,600 have been activated, and the rest stand ready to help whenever our governors choose to call on them.
 
Across the Gulf Coast, Guardsmen are supporting local, state, and federal authorities in a number of ways, from reconnaissance to hazardous material training.  Guard aircraft are also assisting in the response and helping to coordinate the vessels that are out on the water.  Here in Alabama in particular, about 200 of the roughly 450 Guardsmen who've been activated have received specialized training to assist BP with claims processing.  So put simply, this is a multi-purpose force that's prepared to handle almost any challenge, and I hope our governors put them to good use.
 
So, the full resources of our government are being mobilized to confront this disaster.  But it's not only important for everyone from the federal government on down to do all we can -- it’s also important for us to work together to make sure our efforts are well-coordinated.  That’s why Governor Riley and the other Gulf Coast governors have been on a daily call with my administration, seven days a week, since this disaster occurred.  That’s why we’re going to continue to work hand in hand with state and local authorities on every front, from containing as much oil as possible to protecting our coasts, until we put this tragic ordeal behind us.
 
Now, I can’t promise folks here in Theodore or across the Gulf Coast that the oil will be cleaned up overnight.  It will not be.  It's going to take time for things to return to normal.  There's going to be a harmful effect on many local businesses and it's going to be painful for a lot of folks.  Folks are going to be frustrated and some folks are going to be angry.  But I promise you this:  that things are going to return to normal.  This region that's known a lot of hardship will bounce back, just like it's bounced back before.  We are going to do everything we can, 24/7, to make sure that communities get back on their feet.  And in the end, I am confident that we're going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before. 
 
So, Governor Riley, I appreciate all your efforts.  To all the local officials here who've been working so hard, we appreciate what you do each and every day.
 
And let me just make one last comment about our Coast Guard and about our National Incident Coordinator, Thad Allen.  Thad Allen was about to retire and he has answered the call on behalf of this country and is working as hard as anybody in this country right now to help deal with this crisis.  Members of the Coast Guard have been doing outstanding work each and every day, and so I just want to say to all of them that the country is proud of you, grateful to you.  Keep up the good work.
 
All right.  Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)
 
Q    (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I want to take this one question because there's been some reports in the news.  I'm going to be meeting with the BP chairman and a number of officials on Wednesday.  We have begun preliminary conversations about how do we structure a mechanism so that the legitimate claims that are going to be presented not just tomorrow, not just next week, but over the coming months, are dealt with justly, fairly, promptly. 
 
So far, we've had a constructive conversation and my hope is, is that by the time the chairman and I meet on Wednesday, that we've made sufficient progress that we can start actually seeing a structure that would be in place.  But it's too early now at this point, Major, for me to make an announcement.  By Wednesday, though, my hope is, is that we've made some progress on this front.
 
All right.
 
Q    (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I'm going to let Thad Allen, who's the National Incident Coordinator, address this very quickly because we talked about it during our meeting.
 
ADMIRAL ALLEN:  First of all, we have a number of different types of skimming equipment.  Some are offshore deep-draft vessels; the skimming equipment is organically built into it.  We have other skimming arrays that are towed with boom systems, and we have shallow water skimmers that are deployed inshore.  They become the major resource of effectiveness to try and fight this battle offshore, and we know what we're doing near the wellhead.  We have to push the enemy, if you will, back 20 or 30 miles offshore and do maximum skimming there. 
 
We have over 400 of those skimming vessels that are actually organic -- organically contained skimming equipment.  Our goal is to take the smaller equipment that's flexible, put it on vessels of opportunity, and then coordinate better with our local state partners, including National Guard overflights, local fishermen's associations, and so forth, mass our effect and get it pointed up with a command and control system that can attack it on all levels.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  All right.
 
Q    About the vessels of opportunity, there are a lot of local fishermen that say they're not being --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  The -- this is an issue -- and you're only going to get two questions.  This is an issue that's come up across the Gulf.  Keep in mind what we're talking about with vessels of opportunity -- that could range from a big shrimp boat to just a little recreation boat that somebody has brought up. 
 
So each of them is going to have different capacity.  Some of them are going to be able to take swimming -- skimming equipment of the sort that Admiral Allen discussed and actually place it on the boat.  Some of them aren't going to have that capacity, but maybe they can act as sentinels to spot oil, or maybe some of them are just shuttling supplies back and forth to these ships.
 
So what we're doing now is we're taking inventory of all the vessels that have presented themselves to determine which ones can go out in deep water -- they've got radio, they've got full equipment, they can actually lay out boom, they can engage in skimming -- which ones aren't able to do that, and that process is going to be coordinated. 
 
But keep in mind we've got to do this across four states.  And what that means is, is that at any given time, as Thad indicated, the priority might be we just want to get some stuff out 20 miles before it starts coming in closer, which means you're not going to see necessarily a lot of skimmers close in because every resource that we have is being deployed further out.
 
But one of the key points that we made with the regional incident commander is we've got to make sure that we've got a full inventory, we know exactly what the capacity of each of these boats are, we've made sure that people are being trained, and we're matched up folks who are trained with these vessels, and we start actually putting to work as quickly as possible.
 
All right.
 
Q    (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, I've seen a number of beautiful beaches.  I saw some in Mississippi.  We saw some beaches flying over.  But I'll be honest with you -- that we're going to stop as much of the oil from coming in as possible.  That's our number one job. 
 
It turns out that if the oil hits the beaches, that's actually probably the easiest to clean up.  So it's a concern obviously for tourism, it's a concern for an entire Gulf region that economically depends on the tourist season and this period of time when people are out of school.  But those beaches will recover because those big globs of oil, when they hit the beaches, we can send a bunch of people out there and scoop them up, dispose of it properly, and those beaches will look pretty pristine a year or two years from now.
 
The biggest concern we have, actually, are the marshes, the estuaries, the wetlands, where if you start seeing that oil seeping in, that not only can kill oyster beds and other vitally important seafood and ecosystems, but even the repair efforts in those areas can actually destroy the ecology in the region.
 
So we're having to coordinate with the best scientists we've got available.  Thad Allen is working with NOAA and all the other agencies to make sure that we are grading priorities in terms of areas that have to be protected first and foremost because they may have the most difficult time to recover.  And that means that sometimes, for example, in Mississippi, where I just came from, they just made a decision they're not putting any boom in front of the beaches, because the fact of the matter is if the oil hits there it's bad but it's temporary, whereas in some of these other areas it could end up being permanent.
 
All right.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
3:22 P.M. CDT