Message -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iraq

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq that was declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, is to continue in effect beyond May 22, 2015.

Obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Accordingly, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq.

BARACK OBAMA

Remarks by the President on Community Policing

Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
Camden, New Jersey

2:42 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, thank you so much.  It is good to be in Camden.  (Applause.) 

I want to thank your Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno; your Congressman, Donald Norcross; and your Mayor, Dana Redd, for being here.  Give them all a big round of applause.  (Applause.) I want to thank the outstanding facility, our hosts.  The Salvation Army is doing great work, and the Ray Kroc Center here seems like just a wonderful, wonderful facility.  (Applause.)  So we're very proud of them.   

I want to thank Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson for his outstanding work.  (Applause.)  Where’s the Chief?  There he is.  

So I’ve come here to Camden to do something that might have been unthinkable just a few years ago -- and that’s to hold you up as a symbol of promise for the nation.  (Applause.)  Now, I don't want to overstate it.  Obviously Camden has gone through tough times and there are still tough times for a lot of folks here in Camden.  But just a few years ago, this city was written off as dangerous beyond redemption -- a city trapped in a downward spiral.  Parents were afraid to let their children play outside.  Drug dealers operated in broad daylight.  There weren’t enough cops to patrol the streets. 

So two years ago, the police department was overhauled to implement a new model of community policing.  They doubled the size of the force -- while keeping it unionized.  They cut desk jobs in favor of getting more officers out into the streets.  Not just to walk the beat, but to actually get to know the residents -- to set up basketball games, to volunteer in schools, to participate in reading programs, to get to know the small businesses in the area. 

Now, to be a police officer takes a special kind of courage. And I talked about this on Friday at a memorial for 131 officers who gave their lives to protect communities like this one.  It takes a special kind of courage to run towards danger, to be a person that residents turn to when they’re most desperate.  And when you match courage with compassion, with care and understanding of the community -- like we’ve seen here in Camden -- some really outstanding things can begin to happen.

Violent crime in Camden is down 24 percent.  (Applause.)    Murder is down 47 percent.  (Applause.)  Open-air drug markets have been cut by 65 percent.  (Applause.)  The response time for 911 calls is down from one hour to just five minutes.  And when I was in the center, it was 1.3 minutes, right when I was there. (Applause.)  And perhaps most significant is that the police and residents are building trust.  (Applause.)  Building trust.  
 
Now, nobody is suggesting that the job is done.  This is still a work in progress.  The Police Chief would be the first one to say it.  So would the Mayor.  Camden and its people still face some very big challenges.  But this city is on to something. You’ve made real progress in just two years.  And that’s why I’m here today -- because I want to focus on the fact that other cities across America can make similar progress.

Everything we’ve done over the past six years, whether it’s rescuing the economy, or reforming our schools, or retooling our job training programs, has been in pursuit of one goal, and that's creating opportunity for all of us, all our kids.  But we know that some communities have the odds stacked against them, and have had the odds stacked against them for a very long time  -- in some cases, for decades.  You’ve got rural communities that have chronic poverty.  You have manufacturing communities that got hit hard when plants closed and people lost jobs.  There are not only cities but also suburbs where jobs can be tough to find, and tougher to get to because of development patterns and lack of transportation options.  And folks who do work, they’re working harder than ever, but sometimes don't feel like they can get ahead. 

And in some communities, that sense of unfairness and powerlessness has contributed to dysfunction in those communities.  Communities are like bodies, and if the immunity system is down, they can get sick.  And when communities aren't vibrant, where people don't feel a sense of hope and opportunity, then a lot of times that can fuel crime and that can fuel unrest. 
We’ve seen it in places like Baltimore and Ferguson and New York.  And it has many causes -- from a basic lack of opportunity to some groups feeling unfairly targeted by their police forces. And that means there’s no single solution.  There have to be a lot of different solutions and different approaches that we try. 
So one of the things that we did to address these issues was to create a task force on the future of community policing.  And this task force was outstanding because it was made up of all the different stakeholders -- we had law enforcement; we had community activists; we had young people.  They held public meetings across the country.  They developed concrete proposals that every community in America can implement to rebuild trust and help law enforcement. 

The recommendations were released in March; they were finalized today.  They include everything from enhanced officer training to improving the use of body cameras and other technologies to make sure that police departments are being smart about crime and that there’s enough data for them to be accountable as well. 

And we’re trying to support the great work that’s happening at the local level where cities are already responding to these recommendations.  And before I go further, I just want the members of our task force to stand, because they’ve done some outstanding work and they deserve to be acknowledged.  Thank you. (Applause.) 

Now, we’ve launched a Police Data Initiative that’s helping Camden and other innovative cities use data to strengthen their work and hold themselves accountable by sharing it with the public.  Departments might track things like incidents of force so that they can identify and handle problems that could otherwise escalate. 

Here in Camden, officers deal with some 41 different data systems, which means they have to enter the same information multiple times.  So today, we’ve brought a volunteer, Elite Tech Team, to help -- a group of data scientists and software engineers, and tech leaders.  They’re going to work with the police department here to troubleshoot some of the technical challenges so it’s even easier for police departments to do the things they already want to do in helping to track what’s going on in communities, and then also helping to make sure that that data is used effectively to identify where there are trouble spots, where there are problems, are there particular officers that may need additional help, additional training.  All that can be obtained in a really effective, efficient way. 

Today, we’re also releasing new policies on the military-style equipment that the federal government has in the past provided to state and local law enforcement agencies.  We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like there’s an occupying force, as opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them.  It can alienate and intimidate local residents, and send the wrong message.  So we’re going to prohibit some equipment made for the battlefield that is not appropriate for local police departments. (Applause.)

There is other equipment that may be needed in certain cases, but only with proper training.  So we’re going to ensure that departments have what they need, but also that they have the training to use it. 

We’re doing these things because we’re listening to what law enforcement is telling us.  The overwhelming majority of police officers are good and honest and fair.  They care deeply about their communities.  They put their lives on the line every day to keep them safe.  Their loved ones wait and worry until they come through the door at the end of their shift.  So we should do everything in our power to make sure that they are safe, and help them do the job the best they can.

And what’s interesting about what Chief Thomson has done, and what’s happening here in Camden, is these new officers -- who I have to confess made me feel old -- (laughter) -- because they all look like they could still be in school.  (Laughter.)  The approach that the Chief has taken in getting them out of their squad cars, into the communities, getting them familiar with the people that they’re serving -- they’re enjoying their jobs more because they feel as if, over time, they can have more of an impact, and they’re getting more help from the community because the community has seen them and knows them before there’s a crisis, before there’s an incident. 

So it’s not just crisis response.  It’s not after the fact there’s a crime, there’s a dead body, there’s a shooting, and now we’re going to show up.  It’s, we’re here all the time, and hopefully, we can prevent those shootings from happening in the first place.  (Applause.)

But one of the things I also want to focus on is the fact that a lot of the issues that have been raised here, and in places like Baltimore and Ferguson and New York, goes beyond policing.   We can't ask the police to contain and control problems that the rest of us aren’t willing to face or do anything about.  (Applause.)

If we as a society don’t do more to expand opportunity to everybody who’s willing to work for it, then we’ll end up seeing conflicts between law enforcement and residents.  If we as a society aren’t willing to deal honestly with issue of race, then we can't just expect police departments to solve these problems. If communities are being isolated and segregated, without opportunity and without investment and without jobs -- if we politicians are simply ramping up long sentences for nonviolent drug crimes that end up devastating communities, we can't then ask the police to be the ones to solve the problem when there are no able-bodied men in the community, or kids are growing up without intact households.  (Applause.)

We can't just focus on the problems when there’s a disturbance -- and then cable TV runs it for two or three or four days, and then suddenly we forget about it again, until the next time.  Communities like some poor communities in Camden or my hometown in Chicago, they're part of America, too.  The kids who grow up here, they're America’s children.  Just like children everyplace else, they’ve got hopes and they’ve got dreams and they’ve got potential.  And if we're not investing in them, no matter how good Chief Thomson and the police are doing, these kids are still going to be challenged.  So we’ve all got to step up.  We’ve all got to care about what happens.

Chief Thomson will tell you that his officers read to young children in the communities not just to build positive relationships, but because it’s in the interest of the community to make sure these kids can read -- so that they stay in school and graduate ready for college and careers, and become productive members of society.  That’s in his interest not just as a police chief, but also as a citizen of this country, and somebody who grew up in this areas and knows this area.

And that’s why we’ve partnered with cities and states to get tens of thousands more kids access to quality early childhood education.  No matter who they are or where they’re born, they should get a good start in life.  (Applause.)

That's why we’ve partnered with cities, including Camden, to create what we call Promise Zones -- (applause) -- where all-hands-on-deck efforts to change the odds for communities start happening because we're providing job training, and helping to reduce violence, and expanding affordable housing.  

It’s why we’re ready to work with folks from both sides of the aisle to reform our criminal justice system.  We all want safety, and we all know how pernicious the drug culture can be in undermining communities.  But this massive trend toward incarceration even of nonviolent drug offenders, and the costs of that trend are crowding out other critical investments that we can make in public safety.  If we're spending a whole lot of money on prisons, and we don't have computers or books or enough teachers or sports or music programs in our schools, we are being counterproductive.  It’s not a good strategy.  (Applause.)

And so, in addition to the work we're doing directly on the criminal justice front, we're also launching something that we call My Brother’s Keeper -- an initiative to ensure that all young people, but with a particular focus on young men of color, have a chance to go as far as their dreams will take them.  (Applause.)  Now, over the coming weeks, members of my Cabinet will be traveling around the country to highlight communities that are doing great work to improve the lives of their residents. 

We know these problems are solvable.  We’re know that we're not lacking for answers, we’re just lacking political will.  We have to see these problems for what they are -- not something that’s happening in some other city to some other people, but something that’s happening in our community, the community of America.  (Applause.)

And we know that change is possible because we’ve seen it in places like this.  We’ve seen it, thanks to people like Officer Virginia Matias.  Where is Virginia?  There she is right there.  (Applause.)  Earlier this year, Vice President Biden and I got to sit with Officer Matias and rank-and-file law enforcement officers from around the country.  And Virginia was talking about how when she was growing up in East Camden, crime was so bad she wasn’t allowed to go to the store alone.  Her mom was once robbed at gunpoint.  When she was 17, her uncle was shot and killed in his own store.  Instead of turning away from Camden, she decided she wanted to become a cop where she grew up to help the community she loved.  (Applause.)  And today, she is a proud member of the Camden County Police Department.  (Applause.) 

And she’s a constant presence in the community, getting to know everybody she passes on her beat, even volunteering in a kindergarten.  Officer Matias isn’t just helping to keep her community safe, she’s also a role model for young people of Camden.  And anybody who thinks that things aren’t getting better, she says, “I see kids playing outside, riding bikes in the neighborhood, on their porches having a conversation.  That’s how I measure change.”

That’s how we should all measure change.  I had a chance to meet with some of the young people here who participated in a little roundtable with the officers, and they're extraordinary young people.  And they’ve got hopes and dreams just like Malia and Sasha, and they're overcoming some bigger barriers than my children ever had to go through, or I had to go through.  And they're strong, and they're focused.

But in talking to them, some of them -- the reason they’ve been able to make it and do well is because their parents don't let them out outside.  Well, you know what, children shouldn’t have to be locked indoors in order to be safe.  That's not right. Some of them still have concerns about friends of theirs that have taken a wrong path and gotten involved in the streets and drugs.  That's not the environment we need our kids to be growing up in. 

I challenge everybody to get to know some of these young people.  They're outstanding, and they're going to do great things in their lives.  (Applause.)  But the point is, is that they shouldn’t have to go through superhuman efforts just to be able to stay in school and go to college and achieve their promise.  That should be the norm.  That should be standard.  And if it isn’t, we're not doing something right.  We as a society are not doing something right if it isn’t.  (Applause.)

So, ultimately, that's how we're going to measure change:  Rising prospects for our kids.  Rising prospects for the neighborhood.  Do our children feel safe on the streets?  Do they feel cared for by their community?  Do they feel like the police departments care about them?  Do they feel as if when they work hard they can succeed?  Do they feel like the country is making an investment in them?  Do they see role models for success?  Are there pathways to jobs that they can identify?  Do they know that if they put in effort, they can make it?  Are they going to be treated fairly regardless of the color of their skin or what their last name is? 

It’s pretty basic.  I travel around the country -- the one thing that makes me always so optimistic is our children.  And what you realize is everywhere, kids are -- kids are kids.  Sometimes they’ll drive you crazy.  (Laughter.)  They’ll make mistakes.  But there’s an inherent goodness in them.  They want to do the right thing.  They just need to be given a chance.

And some of them aren’t going to be lucky enough to have the structures at home that they need -- in which case then, we all have to pick up the slack.  And if we do, they’ll respond.  They will.  But we got to feel like that they're our kids.  We got to see our children in them, in their eyes.  And we haven’t done enough of that.  But we can. 

This is a moment of great promise; this is a moment of great hope.  And if we're seeing such extraordinary improvement in Camden because of the good efforts of a lot of elected officials, and an outstanding police chief and some wonderful police officers, and a community that's supportive, and nonprofit organizations like the Salvation Army and others that are doing some great work -- if it’s working here, it can work anywhere. (Applause.)  It can work anywhere.

On the City Hall of Camden you got an inscription by Walt Whitman:  “In a dream, I saw a city invincible.”  In a dream I see a country invincible -- if we care enough to make the effort on behalf of every child in this country.  (Applause.)

Camden is showing that it can be done.  I want America to show everybody around the world that it can be done. 

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

END
3:05 P.M. EDT

Weekly Address: Creating Opportunity for All

In this week’s address, the President highlighted the importance of expanding opportunity for all Americans -- a principle that has guided his work throughout the past six years. This past week, the President attended a summit at Georgetown University where he discussed issues like poverty and inequality, and what we can do to ensure everyone gets a fair shot. We’ve seen real results in this area, but there is still more that can be done. And lack of opportunity is not the only barrier to success. That’s why, on Monday, the President will travel to Camden, New Jersey to visit with local law enforcement, meet with young people, and hear directly about efforts to build trust between the police and the community in a city that has faced one of the highest crime rates in America.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, May 16, 2015.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
May 16, 2015

Hi, everybody. Everything we’ve done over the past six years has been in pursuit of one overarching goal: creating opportunity for all.

What we’ve long understood, though, is that some communities have consistently had the odds stacked against them. That’s true of rural communities with chronic poverty. That’s true of some manufacturing communities that suffered after the plants they depended on closed their doors. It’s true of some suburbs and inner cities, where jobs can be hard to find and harder to get to.

That sense of unfairness and powerlessness has helped to fuel the kind of unrest that we’ve seen in places like Baltimore, Ferguson, and New York. It has many causes -- from a basic lack of opportunity to groups feeling unfairly targeted by police – which means there’s no single solution. But there are many that could make a different and could help. And we have to do everything in our power to make this country’s promise real for everyone willing to work for it.

That’s why last Tuesday, at a summit organized by Catholics and evangelicals, I sat down with a conservative scholar and a poverty expert for a discussion on what it takes to open more doors of opportunity. We know our efforts matter: since 1967, we’ve brought poverty down by about 40 percent, thanks in part to programs like Social Security and the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families. And we know that there are folks from all faiths, and across the ideological spectrum, who care deeply about “the least of these.” So I hope this conversation continues, not as a question of whether, but of how, we can work together to grow opportunity. Because it’s not words, but deeds, that make a difference. And from expanding tax cuts for working parents, to raising high school graduation rates, to helping millions of Americans secure health insurance when they didn’t have it just a few years ago -- our actions are making a difference.

Of course, lack of opportunity is not the only barrier between too many of our young people and the kind of future they deserve. On Monday, I’ll travel to Camden, New Jersey, a city that has faced one of the highest violent crime rates in America. I’ll highlight some of the innovative things they’ve done to help police do their jobs more safely and reduce crime in the process. And I’ll highlight steps all cities can take to maintain trust between the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line, and the communities they’re sworn to serve and protect.

Whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or independents; whether we live in one of our poorest communities, one of our wealthiest, or anywhere in between, we all want our country to be one where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded. We want a place where you can make it if you try. That’s the promise we make to our young people. That’s the promise that makes us exceptional. And it’s the promise I’ll never stop fighting to keep, for my children and for yours.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Remarks by President Obama in Press Conference after GCC Summit

Aspen Cabin
Camp David

5:53 P.M. EDT
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good evening.  Before I get to what we discussed here today with our Gulf partners, I want to, again, express my deepest condolences to the families of those who died in Tuesday's terrible train derailment outside of Philadelphia.  And I want to express my gratitude for the first responders who raced to save lives, and for the many passengers who, despite their own injuries, made heroic efforts to get fellow passengers to safety.
 
For a lot of people on that train, it was a routine journey -- a commute, a business trip.  For the Amtrak employees who were badly hurt, it was their office, place of doing business.  And that somehow makes it all the more tragic.
 
Until we know for certain what caused this tragedy, I just want reiterate what I have already said -- that we are a growing country, with a growing economy.  We need to invest in the infrastructure that keeps us that way -- and not just when something bad happens, like a bridge collapse or a train derailment, but all the time.  That's what great nations do.
 
So I offer my prayers for those who grieve, a speedy recovery for the many who were injured as they work to recover.  And we will cooperate, obviously, at every level of government to make sure that we get answers in terms of precisely what happened.
 
Now, to the work that brought us to Camp David.  For the past 70 years, the United States has maintained a core national security interest in the security and the stability of the Middle East generally, and the Gulf region specifically.  This is a fundamental tenet of American foreign policy, upheld by generations of American servicemembers and reaffirmed by every U.S. President -- including me.
 
Since I took office, we’ve intensified our security cooperation with our Gulf Cooperation Council partners -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain.  At a time of extraordinary challenges across the Middle East -- including conflicts that have caused untold human suffering -- the United States and our GCC partners cooperate extensively, countering terrorist groups like al Qaeda, and now ISIL; opposing the Assad regime’s war against the Syrian people; supporting the legitimate government of Yemen; and opposing Iran’s destabilizing actions across the Middle East.   
 
I invited our GCC partners here today to deepen our cooperation and to work together to resolve conflicts across the region.  I want to thank each of the leaders and delegations who attended.
 
We approached our discussions in a spirit of mutual respect. We agree that the security relationship between the United States and our GCC partners will remain a cornerstone of regional stability and our relationship is a two-way street -- we all have responsibilities.  And here at Camp David, we decided to expand our partnership in several important and concrete ways.
 
First, I am reaffirming our ironclad commitment to the security of our Gulf partners.  As we’ve declared in our joint statement, the United States is prepared to work jointly with GCC member states to deter and confront an external threat to any GCC state’s territorial integrity that is inconsistent with the U.N. Charter.  In the event of such aggression, or the threat of such aggression, the United States stands ready to work with our GCC partners to urgently determine what actions may be appropriate, using the means at our collective disposal, including the potential use of military force, for the defense of our GCC partners.  And let me underscore -- the United States keeps our commitments.
 
Second -- and to back up our words with deeds -- we will increase our already extensive security cooperation.  We’ll expand our military exercises and assistance to meet the full range of threats -- in particular, terrorism.  This means more training and cooperation between our special operations forces, sharing more information and stronger border security to prevent the flow of foreign fighters, and increased enforcement to prevent terrorist financing.  We’ll step up our efforts to counter violent extremism, including online.  And more broadly, we’ll expand our cooperation on maritime security and work to harden our partners’ critical infrastructure.
 
Third, we’ll help our Gulf partners improve their own capacity to defend themselves.  The United States will streamline and expedite the transfer of critical defense capabilities to our GCC partners.  We will work together to develop an integrated GCC defense capability against ballistic missiles, including an early warning system.  And we will work toward the development of rapid response capabilities to undertake missions such as counterterrorism and peacekeeping.
 
Fourth, we pledged to work together to try to resolve armed conflicts in the region, and we have articulated core principles to guide our efforts:  Respect for state sovereignty; recognition that these conflicts can only be resolved politically; and acknowledgment of the importance of inclusive governance and the need to respect minorities and protect human rights.
 
Therefore, with respect to Syria, we committed to continuing to strengthen the moderate opposition, to oppose all violent extremist groups, and to intensify our efforts to achieve a negotiated political transition toward an inclusive government --without Bashar Assad -- that serves all Syrians.
 
We will continue to support the Iraqi government in its efforts against ISIL, and in reforms to ensure that the rights and opportunities of all Iraqis are fully respected.
 
We welcomed the humanitarian truce in Yemen, so urgently needed aid can reach civilians, and we call on all parties in Yemen to return to political talks facilitated by the United Nations.
 
We will step up our collective efforts to help form a national unity government in Libya, and counter the growing terrorist presence there.
 
And we reiterate the urgent need for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
 
Fifth, we spent considerable time discussing Iran.  I updated our Gulf partners on the negotiations towards a comprehensive deal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  And I’m pleased that here at Camp David we agree that a comprehensive, verifiable solution that fully addresses the regional and international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program is in the security interests of the international community -- including our GCC partners.
 
Of course, whether we reach a nuclear deal or not with Iran, we’re still going to face a range of threats across the region, including its destabilizing activities, as well as the threat from terrorist groups.  So we’re going to work together to address these threats.  And much of the enhanced security cooperation that I’ve outlined will allow us to do precisely that.
But I want to be very clear.  The purpose of security cooperation is not to perpetuate any long-term confrontation with Iran or even to marginalize Iran.  None of our nations have an interest in an open-ended conflict with Iran.  We welcome an Iran that plays a responsible role in the region -- one that takes concrete, practical steps to build trust and resolve its differences with its neighbors by peaceful means, and abides by international rules and norms.
As I’ve said before, ending the tensions in the region and resolving its devastating conflicts will require a broader dialogue -- one that includes Iran and its GCC neighbors.  And so a key purpose of bolstering the capacity of our GCC partners is to ensure that our partners can deal with Iran politically, diplomatically, from a position of confidence and strength.
And finally, while this summit was focused on security cooperation, events in the Middle East since the beginning of the Arab Spring are a reminder that true and lasting security includes governance that serves all citizens and respects universal human rights.  So, in the Middle East, as we do around the world, the United States will continue to speak out on behalf of inclusive governance, representative institutions, strong civil societies and human rights, and we will work to expand the educational and economic opportunities that allow people -- especially young people -- to fulfill their potential.
So, again, I want to thank all of our GCC partners for making this summit a success.  I believe that the Camp David commitments I’ve described today can mark the beginning of a new era of cooperation between our countries -- a closer, stronger partnership that advances our mutual security for decades to come.
So, with that, I'm going to take some questions.  And I will start with Julie Pace because I promised her in the Oval Office that I'd call on her.
Q    Thank you very much.  You mentioned in your statement the broad support from the GCC for stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.  Did you get any specific commitments from the Gulf leaders for the framework that you reached a few months ago, and at least a commitment to not publicly oppose a deal if you're able to reach that?
And on the Gulf’s main concern, Iran’s destabilizing activity in the region, how can you really assure them that Iran would not continue that activity if they had an influx of money from sanctions relief when they’re already accused of doing so now with a weaker economy?
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  We didn’t have a document that we presented to them to sign on the bottom line, will you approve of this nuclear framework deal, because the deal is not completed.  And in the same way that I wouldn't ask the United States Senate, or the American people to sign off on something before they’ve actually seen the details of it, and given that I'm not going to sign off on any deal until I've seen the details of it, I wouldn't expect them to either.
What I did hear from our GCC partners was their agreement that if we can get a comprehensive, verifiable deal that cuts off the pathways to a nuclear weapon, that that would be in their interests and the interests of the region, as well as the world’s community.
And so the question is then going to be, is Iran prepared to do what’s required for the international community to feel confidence that, in fact, it's not developing a nuclear weapon, and have we set up the kinds of inspection regimes that allow such confidence to be maintained, not just next year or five years from now, but out into the future?
So what we did was we had Secretary Kerry, Secretary Ernie Moniz -- who obviously was involved in the negotiations, as well -- to walk through why it was that we were confident that if the framework agreement we've arrived at were to be solidified, that, in fact, we could verify that they did not have a nuclear weapon. And that was important to them and I think gave them additional confidence.
There was a concern -- a concern that I share -- that even if we deal effectively with the nuclear issue that we will still have a problem with some of Iran’s destabilizing activities.  And a number of them did express the concern that with additional resources through the reduction in sanctions, that was it possible that Iran would siphon off a lot of these resources into more destabilizing activity.
Secretary Jack Lew was there to explain that, first of all, there would be no sanctions relief until we could confirm that Iran had actually carried out its obligations under any nuclear deal.  Secondly, we gave them our best analysis of the enormous needs that Iran has internally and the commitment that Iran has made to its people in terms of shoring up its economy and improving economic growth.
And as I pointed out, most of the destabilizing activity that Iran engages in is low-tech, low-cost activity.  And so part of my emphasis to them was that if we are focusing more effectively on the things we need to do -- to shore up defenses, improve intelligence, improve the capacity for maritime monitoring of what’s taking place in the Gulf -- if we are working in concert to address the terrorist activity and countering terrorist messages that are coming not just from state sponsors like Iran, but, more broadly, from organizations like ISIL, then we're going to be able to fortify ourselves and deal with many of these challenges much more effectively, and we can do so from a position of strength and confidence.
So it's not to deny the concerns that were there about what happens when sanctions are reduced, but it was to emphasize that what matters more is the things that we can do now to ensure that some of this destabilizing activity is no longer taking place.
And, of course, when you look at a place like Yemen, the issue there is that the state itself was crumbling, and that if we can do a better job in places like Syria, Yemen, Libya, in building up functioning political structures, then it's less likely that anybody, including Iran, can exploit some of the divisions that exist there.
Michael Viqueira.
Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  On Syria, one of the reasons we're here is because many of the nations in the region were upset that more than two years ago when Bashar al-Assad deployed chemical weapons, there was no military response as you appeared to promise, no retaliation on the part of the U.S.  Now there’s a possibility that Assad has once again used chemical weapons.  What did you tell these leaders here who were disappointed last time?  And will you use a military response if it's confirmed that he used chemical weapons again, once again deployed them?
And if I could ask you a domestic question, as well, sir.  And this one is about the environment and the drilling that's recently been approved in the Arctic.  This nation, the United States, is now a net exporter for the first time in years of fossil fuels, partly due to fracking, something that environmentalists have objected to, something that you regard as an “all of the above” energy strategy.  The oil company, Shell, has had a very mixed record of drilling in that region.  Many environmentalists look at this and say, is it really worth the risk to drill in such a delicate ecosystem.  Thank you.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  First of all, Michael, I don't know why you're here, but the reason I’m here is not because of what happened in Syria a couple of years ago.  The reason I’m here is because we’ve got extraordinary challenges throughout the region -- not just in Syria, but in Iraq and Yemen and Libya, and obviously, the development of ISIL; and our interest in making sure that we don't have a nuclear weapon in Iran.
With respect to Syria, my commitment was to make sure that Syria was not using chemical weapons, and mobilizing the international community to assure that that would not happen.  And, in fact, we positioned ourselves to be willing to take military action.  The reason we did not was because Assad gave up his chemical weapons.  That's not speculation on our part.  That, in fact, has been confirmed by the organization internationally that is charged with eliminating chemical weapons.
And I don't think that there are a lot of folks in the region who are disappointed that Assad is no longer in possession of one of the biggest stockpiles of chemical weapons of any country on Earth.  Those have been eliminated.
It is true that we’ve seen reports about the use of chlorine in bombs that have the effect of chemical weapons.  Chlorine itself, historically, has not been listed as a chemical weapon, but when it is used in this fashion can be considered a prohibited use of that particular chemical.  And so we're working with the international community to investigate that.
And, in fact, if we have the kinds of confirmation that we need, we will, once again, work with the international community and the organization charged with monitoring compliance by the Syrian government, and we will reach out to patrons of Assad like Russia to put a stop to it.
With respect to the situation in the Arctic, I think it’s fair to say that I know a little something about the risks of offshore drilling given what happened in the Gulf very early in my presidency.  And so nobody is more mindful of the risks involved and the dangers.  That's why, despite the fact that Shell had put in an application for exploration in this region several years ago, we delayed it for a very lengthy period of time until they could provide us with the kinds of assurances that we have not seen before, taking account of the extraordinary challenges if, in fact, there was a leak that far north and in that kind of an environment, which would be much more difficult to deal with than in the Gulf.  Based on those very high standards, Shell had to go back to the drawing board, revamp its approach, and the experts at this point have concluded that they have met those standards.
But keep in mind that my approach when it comes to fracking, drilling, U.S. energy production of oil or natural gas has remained consistent throughout:  I believe that we are going to have to transition off of fossil fuels as a planet in order to prevent climate change.  I am working internationally to reduce our carbon emissions and to replace over time fossil fuels with clean energies.
Obviously, we start at home with all the work that we’ve done to, for example, double the use of clean energy.  But I think that it is important also to recognize that that is going to be a transition process.  In the meantime, we are going to continue to be using fossil fuels.  And when it can be done safely and appropriately, U.S. production of oil and natural gas is important.
I would rather us -- with all the safeguards and standards that we have -- be producing our oil and gas, rather than importing it, which is bad for our people, but is also potentially purchased from places that have much lower environmental standards than we do.
Toluse.
Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I would like to ask you about trade.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yes.
Q    The Senate moved forward on a bill today to approve your trade legislation.  And it also moved forward with a proposal to punish countries like China for what they do in terms of manipulating their currency.  Could you potentially see yourself accepting Senator Schumer’s language on currency manipulation?  Or would you have to veto that?
And, secondly, could you also talk about your relationship with Senator Warren?  Do you regret the fact that things have become so personal with the back-and-forth on trade?  And then, secondly, if I could ask --
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Wait, that was the second question, wasn’t it?  So now, thirdly, is what you're saying.
 
Q    Yes.
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay.  (Laughter.)
 
Q    Just really quickly, you mentioned the issue of a two-state solution with Israel.  I was wondering if you would give your reaction to what the Pope is moving forward with in terms of recognizing the Palestinian state.  Do you think that's a good idea?  Do you think it’s a mistake?  And do you think it might help or hinder the two-state solution that you mentioned earlier?
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay.  Well, first of all, I want to congratulate the Senate on moving forward on providing me the authority to not only strike a smart, progressive, growth-promoting trade deal with some of the countries in the Asia Pacific region and potentially in Europe, as well, but also to give me the tools to enforce those agreements, which haven’t always happened in the past.
 
So I want to thank all the senators who voted to provide that authority -- or at least to begin the debate on moving that process forward.  Those who didn't vote for it, I want to keep on trying to make the case and provide them the information they need to feel confident that despite the fact that there have been very genuine problems with some trade deals in the past, the approach that we're taking here I think is the right one -- not just for big U.S. businesses, but also for small U.S. businesses and medium-sized U.S. businesses, and most importantly, ultimately, American workers.
 
I would not be promoting any agreement that I didn't think at the end of the day was going to be creating jobs in the United States and giving us more of an opportunity to create ladders of success, higher incomes and higher wages for the American people, because that's my primary focus.  It has been since I came into office.
 
The issue with respect to myself and Elizabeth has never been personal.  I think it’s fun for the press to see if we can poke around at it when you see two close allies who have a disagreement on a policy issue.  But there are a whole bunch of  -- some of my best friends in the Senate, as well as in the House, some of my earliest supporters who disagree with me on this.  And I understand.  Because, like me, they came up through the ranks watching plants close, jobs being shipped overseas.  Like me, they have concerns about whether labor agreements or environmental agreements with other countries are properly enforced.  Like me, they have concerns about whether, in fact, trade ends up being fair and not just free.
 
And, like me, they have a deep concern about some of the global trends that we’ve seen and trends that we’ve seen in our own country in terms of increased inequality and what appears to be the effects of automation and globalization in allowing folks at the very top to do really, really well, but creating stagnation in terms of incomes and wages for middle-class families and folks working to get their way into the middle class.
 
So these are folks whose values are completely aligned with mine.  I notice that there was sort of a progressive statement of principles about what it means to be a progressive by some of these friends of mine, and I noted that it was basically my agenda -- except for trade.  (Laughter.)  That was the one area where there was a significant difference.  And this just comes down to a policy difference and analysis in terms of what we think is best for our people, our constituents.
 
It is my firm belief that, despite the problems of previous trade deals, that we are better off writing high-standard rules with strong, enforceable provisions on things like child labor, or deforestation, or environmental degradation, or wildlife trafficking, or intellectual property -- we are better off writing those rules for what is going to be the largest, fastest-growing market in the world.  And if we don't, China will, and other countries will.  And our businesses will be disadvantaged and our workers will ultimately suffer.
 
And in terms of some of the fears of outsourcing of jobs, it is my belief, based on the analysis, that at this point, if there was a company in the United States that was looking for low-cost labor, they have no problem outsourcing it under the current regime.  And so what we do have the opportunity to do is to attract back companies to manufacture here in the United States.
 
And we're seeing some of that happen.  That's why I went out to Nike.  I understand that Nike has been manufacturing shoes with low-cost labor in many of these areas in the Asia Pacific region and that hurt the American footwear industry in terms of jobs here in the United States.  But that happened over the course of the last 30 years.  And now, for Nike to announce that because of new technologies, they're potentially bringing 10,000 jobs back here because we’ve gone up the value chain, we're manufacturing in different ways -- that's an opportunity.  But we’ve still got to be able to sell over there to take full advantage of those opportunities.
 
Which is why my argument with my progressive friends is what we really need to be focusing on to meet the same objectives -- the shared objectives -- is the kinds of other issues that we all agree on:  strong minimum wage; strong job training programs; infrastructure investments that put people back to work; stronger laws to protect collective bargaining and the capability of workers to have a voice; strong enforcement of rules around things like overtime pay; making sure that we have paid sick leave; making sure that we have a honest conversation about our budgets and that we're not slashing investments in the future simply to make sure that we're preserving loopholes for corporations that don't provide any economic benefit.
 
Those are the things that are going to help us address the very problems that they're concerned about.  Blocking a trade deal will not -- particularly since they're the first ones to acknowledge that the existing trade rules are a bad deal for U.S. workers.  If they're not working for us now, how does hanging on to what’s going on now help American workers?  It doesn't make sense.
 
I’m all for enforcement and the provisions that were signed. I have expressed concerns about how the currency language that is in the bill is drafted.  But I have to talk to Senator Schumer and Sherrod Brown and others about how we can work on language that does not end up having a blowback effect on our ability to maintain our own monetary policy.
 
I don't even remember what your other question was.  (Laughter.)
 
Q    The Vatican --
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Oh.  Well, rather than speak for others, I'll just reiterate what I've said previously.  I continue to believe that a two-state solution is absolutely vital for not only peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but for the long-term security of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state.
 
And I know that a government has been formed that contains some folks who don't necessarily believe in that premise.  But that continues to be my premise.  And since we're up here at Camp David, I think it's important to remind ourselves of the degree to which a very hard peace deal that required incredible vision and courage and tough choices resulted in what’s now been a lasting peace between countries that used to be sworn enemies.  And Israel is better off for it.  I think the same would be true if we get a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
 
That prospect seems distant now.  But I think it's always important for us to keep in mind what’s right and what’s possible.
 
Okay.  Last question -- Scott Horsley.
 
Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You mentioned at the outset our need for a world-class infrastructure.  We're coming up on a deadline for the Highway Trust Fund.  With gas prices where they are, why isn't this a good time to consider a hike in the federal gas tax, which might also serve some of the carbon goals you talked about?
 
And since you mentioned the overtime rules, I know it's been about 14 months since you asked the Labor Department to put those together.  They went over to OMB last week.  How soon might we see those?
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Soon.
 
And with respect to transportation, you're absolutely right that now is the time for us to get something done.  I'm practical, and in order for us to get a transportation bill done I've got to get cooperation from a Republican-controlled Congress.  And so I'm in discussions with the majority and minority leaders in both chambers, as well as the relevant committee chairpersons.  We want to hear their ideas.  We want to find out what’s possible.  I think that that's going to be something that we need to explore.
 
But this is not an area where either side should be looking for political points.  This did not used to be a partisan issue. Building roads, building bridges, building airports, sewer lines, dams, ports -- this is how we grow.  This is how America became an economic superpower, was investing in our people, investing in infrastructure, doing it better and faster and bigger than anybody else did.  We should be doing the same thing now.
 
The first Republican President, a proud native of my home state, named Mr. Lincoln, even in the midst of Civil War was looking at how we join the country together through our railways and our canals.  We shouldn’t be thinking smaller today.  We need to be thinking bigger in this global economy.
 
So my hope is, is that we have a chance to have a serious discussion and look at all potential revenue sources.  What is absolutely true is, is that the Highway Trust Fund has consistently gotten smaller and smaller and smaller, and inadequate for the needs.  What’s also true is patchwork approaches of three months or six months at a time don't make any sense.  We need some sort of long-term solution.
 
Nobody foresaw that we could actually get a doc fix done and actually solve the long-term problem there in terms of how we were managing Medicare payments for doctors.  Who knows?  Maybe we might see some intelligent bipartisan outbreaks over the next few months -- because I think everybody recognizes this is important.
 
Thank you very much, everybody.
 
END
6:27 P.M. EDT