The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2014

Remarks by the President at My Brother's Keeper Town Hall

Walker Jones Education Campus
Washington, D.C.

12:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Give it up for Chris Paul.  (Applause.)  Everybody have a seat.  Chris was saying he was going to be nervous, but I'd seen all those State Farm ads, so I knew he could perform.  (Laughter.)  Not to mention how he performs on the court.  And I've gotten a chance to know Chris over the last several years, and his family, and he is just the kind of person that you want in a leadership position.  We are very, very proud of him.  And I'm so grateful that he agreed to participate in this. 

Hello, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Hello!

THE PRESIDENT:  How you all doing today?

AUDIENCE:  Good. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Doing good?  It is good to be at Walker Jones.  I want to thank all of you for being here.  I want to thank the school for hosting us.  I want to thank the outstanding members of Congress who are here.  And I want you all to know that I'm here for a simple reason, and that is I want to hear from many of you, the young people who are here today.

I just had a chance to meet with a group of young people who are being mentored through a new program we started at the White House.  In a few minutes, I'm going to have a chance to take some questions from some of the young people here today, give me a chance to hear from you about what your concerns are, what your dreams and hopes are, what your fears are, and how you think we may be able to help. 

And the reason it's important for me to be here is because when I look out at some of the young men who are here, you're where I was 40 -- 35 years ago.  (Laughter.)  I was trying to do the math in my head.  I'm not that old yet.  And I've had a chance to talk to some young people in the past, and I always say that I see myself in the young men who are coming up now. 

When I was in my teens, I didn’t have a father in the house. It took me a while to realize that I was angry about that, and I acted out in some ways.  I was raised by a single mom.  We didn’t have a lot in terms of wealth, although we had a lot of love in the house and my grandparents helped out.  But despite their best efforts, sometimes I made some bad choices.  I didn’t always take school as serious as I should have.  I made excuses sometimes for misbehavior.

The only difference between me and extraordinarily talented young men that I see all across the country is I was living in a pretty forgiving environment.  So if I made a mistake, I often had a second chance, or I often had a third chance.  And some of the costs of making mistakes, they weren’t deadly.  I wasn’t going to end up shot.  I wasn’t going to end up in jail.

And as a consequence, for the last five, six, ten years, I've constantly been thinking about how can I make sure that I'm evening out the odds a little bit for other young men who could end up being a doctor or a lawyer or a senator or an attorney general or a secretary of education.  What is it that we can do to create structures that give them support, that help them make better choices, and that, when you do make a mistake, give you a hand up so you can recover and go ahead and move on to the next phase of your lives?

So that's why, earlier this year, we launched what we call My Brother’s Keeper.  My Brother’s Keeper isn't some new, big government program.  It's actually a team effort.  It’s all about a whole bunch of folks -- educators, business leaders, faith leaders, foundations, government -- all working together to give boys and young men of color the tools that they need to succeed and make sure that every young person can reach their potential.  And so the reason that we’re here today is to announce some of the pledges that have already been made, some of the commitments that have already been made by a series of institutions that just give you a sense of the kind of progress and excitement that we’ve seen since we launched this initiative.

 Chris Paul was a hint of one of these big commitments.  The NBA and its Players Association are joining others to recruit 25,000 new mentors and to work directly with educators and schools all across our country.  We are very proud of what the NBA is doing.  And Adam Silver, the commissioner is here, as well as Chris, the Players Association president, and we want to thank them for their extraordinary involvement that they’ve made.  (Applause.)

But it’s not just the NBA that’s already stepping up.  Today, we’ve got 60 of the country’s largest school districts who are here today announcing new efforts to help boys and young men like you succeed.  The Council of Great City Schools -- these are some big city schools superintendents -- have done an extraordinary thing, pledging, making commitments to each other as well as their school districts and to their students and to parents that this is going to be a major focus for them.  And we want to thank them for the great commitment that they are making. (Applause.)

We’ve got leaders from Silicon Valley and the Emerson Collective who are today launching a $50 million competition to redesign high schools so that young people can learn in classrooms built for the 21st century, so that you know that the models that are out there of high schools that can help translate skills into successful careers, that we’re going to be rebuilding those in some cases from the ground up.  So we want to thank those leaders and Emerson Collective for the great work that they’re doing.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.) 

We’ve got a bipartisan group of mayors today who are going to bring the ideas behind My Brother’s Keeper to their cities.  We’ve got the National Congress of American Indians who are going to do the same for young Native American boys and men.  So we want to thank them for the outstanding work that they’re doing.  (Applause.)

And we’ve got organizations and companies like The College Board and AT&T, UBS, JPMorgan, City Foundation, and Discovery Communications who are making big commitments of their own to help young people like you get ahead. 

So these are just a few of the businesses and organizations and cities that are stepping up today.  I’m confident that more and more are going to be joining.  One of the things that we’ve discovered -- a pleasant surprise -- has been how invested and excited the folks who we’ve talked to have been about this initiative.  People recognize that America will succeed if we are investing in our young people.  And we also know that we’ve got to make sure that boys and young men of color are part of that success.  We will not succeed unless you succeed.  And we are so proud of the commitments that have already been made, but we’re also very confident that we’re going to see a lot more commitments in the weeks and months to come.

So thank you, everybody.  And right now I want to take some questions.  But first of all, give all the folks who are participating -- give them one last big round of applause.  (Applause.) 

Let’s see if this mic is working.  Testing, one, two three. Does that work?  All right.  And somebody is going to bring out my tea so that I don’t get hoarse.  Big Marvin.  (Laughter.)  Thank you.  Marvin has the height for the NBA, but not the vertical.  (Laughter.)  But he can hit a golf ball a long way. 

So who wants to start off?  What young person has got a question or a comment?  What I really want to do is just have a conversation, because part of what we want the mayors who are here and the business leaders who are here -- we want to give them a chance to hear directly from you.  And I know it’s kind of a public event and everybody is looking all serious, but try to pretend like there are no cameras here and that I’m not the President.  (Laughter.) 

Yes, sir, this young man right here.  But what we wanted you to do is stand up.  We’re going to bring a mic.  I want you to introduce yourself, tell me where you’re from, and then make your question or your comment.

Q    Hello.  Good afternoon.  I’m Jamal.  My question is did you set goals for yourself when you were younger?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, did everybody hear the question -- did I set goals for myself when I was younger.  Let me say, first of all, that I actually didn’t set a lot of goals for myself when I was very young.  When I got to be about your age, a lot of my goals revolved around basketball -- which were probably misplaced goals because I did not have Chris Paul’s talent.  But as I got older -- so by the time I got to be a junior or senior in high school, I realized that I did need to go to college, and that required me to buckle down a little bit. 

And then, when I got to college, my first two years I was still kind of enjoying myself a little bit too much and was still a little bit too casual about my studies.  And it wasn’t probably until I was about 20 that something happened inside me where I really said, you know, if I want to be serious, if I want to make a contribution, if I want to be proud of myself looking back on my life, then I’m going to have to change how I do things. 

And sometimes -- initially, I didn’t know how to do that.  But that’s where the goal-setting came in.  Because you’d start small.  I’d say to myself, all right, my goal is to read a certain number of books a month, or my goal is to boost my GPA in college this much, or my goal is to interact with my peers a little differently than I had been doing in terms of how often I went out.  So it could just be simple goals initially, and over time, those goals became more ambitious. 

And the truth is I still set goals every day.  Every morning, I’ve got a checklist of here are the things that I need to get done.  And it starts off with big goals -- so let’s just take My Brother’s Keeper.  My goals is to make sure that every young person in America, if they’re putting in the effort, they can succeed, and they’ve got ladders of opportunity to take them where they want to go regardless of what their talents or interests are.  So that’s a big goal.  That’s a 40,000-foot goal.

But if I just stay there, I’m not going to get it done, right?  So then I’ve got to break it down into, well, what are the component parts of that?  Well, number one, I’ve got to make sure the school system works well.  So then I’m going to talk to my Secretary of Education and I’m going to say, what are our goals this year in terms of improving whether it’s early childhood education, or making sure that young people can read at grade level by the time they’re in 3rd grade, or what have you. 

But then it’s also there’s a criminal justice component to it, because I’m trying to figure out how do we get more young men into college and fewer of them into jail, which means that I’ve then got to talk to the Attorney General, Eric Holder, and I’ve got to say, what are our goals for trying to revamp how we think about the interaction between law enforcement and young men of color.

So I’ll break it down into those parts.  But that’s still not at the best level, because now I’ve got to say, what’s our specific plan to do it and what am I going to be doing this week, what am I going to be doing this month, and what am I going to be doing this year to get that done.  And so you keep on breaking it down from the very general down to the specific.  And ideally, what I’m producing then is every day when I wake up I’ve got a checklist of here are the specific things I’m going to do today to achieve my goal.

But you don’t get there right away.  So you can’t -- if you decide -- what do you want to be?  You want to be a lawyer, okay. And what year are you in now in school?  You’re a senior this -- so you’re a rising senior.  Okay, so your first goal is you got to go to college to be a lawyer.  So that means right now your focus should just be on what do I need to do to get into the best college with the least debt when I graduate from college as possible.  Right?  That’s going to be your top priority.  (Applause.)

But then you can start breaking into different goals.  You can start saying what lawyers do I know where I could maybe have a summer internship at a law firm, and how do I talk to that -- how do I meet somebody who’s a lawyer who can give me a sense of what it’s like to be a lawyer.  And I’ve got to think about what kind of law do I want to practice, and what kind of classes should I take once I get to college to prepare me for law school. So there are a whole range of things that you can start breaking down into their component parts.

But if you don’t set a target, it’s just like -- I’ll probably end up using a lot of NBA analogies here today just because I’ve got a lot of ballers here.  You can’t make a shot if you don’t aim.  I mean, that’s pretty straightforward.  The first goal is to know where it is that you’re trying to put the ball.  And if you don’t have a clear sense of direction, a clear objective, then it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, you’re not going to get there.

It’s a great question, though.  All right, who else?  Young man -- who already tried to invite himself to Camp David.  (Laughter.)  We were talking -- we were doing this mentorship program, and he said, well, when am I going to get to come to Camp David?  (Laughter.)  That’s a good goal.  It’s a little unrealistic right now.  (Laughter.)  But who knows -- you keep on working on it.  Go ahead.

Q    You said when you were younger your father always wasn’t around.  How did you learn how to become a good father?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that’s a good question.  It wasn’t just that my father wasn’t always around.  I only met him for a month my entire life.  He wasn’t there otherwise.  So I didn’t know him at all until I was 10.  He came for a month, and then I never saw him again.

But I had this mom who just loved me a lot, and I had grandparents who loved me a lot.  And to all the heroic single moms out there, we appreciate you for what you accomplish and what you do.  (Applause.)  Because she was going to school and she was working and having to raise me and my sister, and my grandparents gave us a lot of help, but it was hard.  It was hard on her.  And she was young when she had me; she was 18.

And now I -- the other day I was in Minnesota and I saw a group of young teenage moms --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yay!

THE PRESIDENT:  That was the Minnesota superintendent of schools who just -- (laughter.)  And I just looked at them and I thought, well, you’re just children.  And I thought about my mother and how she ever managed that.  It’s unbelievable.

But to your question, I think that two things happened.  One is the values my mother taught me, I thought to myself, well, those are values that any parent should have.  So it doesn’t matter whether you’re the dad or the mom -- loving your child, being responsible for your child, teaching them how to be honest and how to be responsible themselves, and how to treat other people with kindness and how to respect themselves but respect others, how to work hard -- those weren’t values that were just for moms to teach, those were values for dads to teach as well, right? 

So some of it is me trying to remember what did my mom do for me and how can I do that for my daughters.  And the second thing was just a commitment to being there -- which is part of the reason why this mentorship program is so important.  Some of you have dads in your lives even if your parents are divorced, and that's great, because it's hard to replace a dad, and fathers can make this unbelievable contribution.  For those who don't have that, having an adult in your life -- and then for boys, especially, an adult male in their lives -- just to talk to and to have an interaction with and to kind of model off of, even if sometimes it's not that explicit but you're kind of watching folks and seeing, all right, how do they carry themselves, how do they treat other people -- that makes a difference. 

For me, though, it was just really important to be there.  And one of the things you discover being a father is you get out of it at least as much as you are putting into it.  When I talk to young people who are thinking about parenthood or thinking about families, I try to describe, there is no greater joy than being in your children’s lives and then seeing them turn out well, seeing them happy and succeeding and focused and just being good people.  It's the single most important thing you do in your life.  And I was lucky -- I think precisely because I didn’t have that -- to say to myself I'm going to make sure that I experience that.

It also helps marrying a good women.  I should add that.  (Laughter and applause.)  So that always helps. 

All right, who else?  Just because that green is something, I've got to call on you.  (Laughter.)  Just because that's an outfit right there.  That looks sharp.  (Laughter.)  What’s your name?

Q    My name is Gray Smith (ph) and I'm from D.C.  And my question is how do cope with judgment and how people see you?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that's an interesting question.  Because people do have a lot of judgment about me, don't they?  (Laughter.)  That's a great question.  When you grow up, when you're young it is natural to care about what your peers think of you.  That's just human.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  That's part of how young people get socialized, is they are looking at how people are responding to them and taking it in.  And when they get positive reinforcement, they do more of that.  When they get negative reinforcement, they do less of that.  And that's just how we are.  We're social animals.

But I do think that as you get older part of what you have to determine is what’s important to you -- who are you, how do you want to live, what are the principles that you abide by, what are the kind of fixed foundations, what’s the North Star that steers you -- so that when things happen that aren't always according to plan, and when you have tough times and when you are struggling, what is it that's going to keep you going and keep your bearings. 

And I think through trial and error and mistakes and self-reflection, over time I've sort of figured out who I am and what’s important to me and what I care about.  And I try to stay focused on that.  And that can come about in a lot of different ways.  Some people come at it through their faith and God centers them.  And some people come at it through their work and they determine, this is what I think is important in terms of my work. There are different paths to it, but at some point, to be a man or a woman, to be an adult, to be a full-grown person, you have to move beyond just what other people think and you have to make a determination about what do you believe in. 

Not just what’s your opinion are any given day -- because folks have opinions about everything, and I change my mind about issues.  There are times where I think one way, and then I get more evidence, new information comes in, and I say, oh, maybe I wasn’t right about that, let me rethink this.  So there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind.  But that's different from losing your sense of who you are and what’s important, or just changing your mind because it's easier or expedient. 

And what I try to do is be open-minded to new facts but stay pretty fixed in terms of what I think is important.  I think, for example, it is really -- this sounds corny, but I think it's really important to treat other people with kindness.  So that's a basic principle that I've got.  Now, I've got to translate that sometimes in very abstract ways.  All right, well, what does that mean if you’ve got suffering children halfway across the world -- what are my responsibilities to them and how does that translate into policy? 

And sometimes I've got tough choices because, on the one hand, I may want to help those children; on the other hand, I've got a bunch of young people I need to help here.  And if I want to help those children I may need to, then, deal with bad people who are hurting those kids, but that may involve the United States in the kind of conflicts that ultimately hurt some of our young men and women who I might have to send there.  So there are complexities to it.  It’s hard.  But I don’t lose track of the fact that I think treating somebody with kindness, that’s a core value of mine. 

And then I just don’t watch TV.  That’s the other thing.  (Laughter and applause.)  That also helps.  That’s not entirely true, I was teasing about that.

But I do think that one of the things, as you grow up you start trying to figure out, is who gives you constructive criticism because they’re invested in the same things you are but maybe can see some things you can’t, versus folks who are just -- what did somebody say -- hating, somebody just hating, just haters -- I won’t go there, but -- (laughter) -- but people who maybe are providing less constructive criticism where I can’t really use it because no matter what I do, there may be something else that they’re criticizing.  The object of it is not to advance a goal. 

And so one thing you should learn is if somebody is being constructive in their criticism, usually they’re not criticizing you, they’re criticizing your actions and what you do, and are giving you something specific.  So if a coach is coaching Chris and just says, you’re a buster, you can’t play -- that’s not constructive criticism.  If they say, Chris, right now you’re dribbling too much and you need to move the ball around because then five guys are going to touch it and we’ll have more motion  -- that becomes constructive criticism.  

Well, that’s true in your lives as well.  So you can usually tell -- if somebody is being constructive, they’re telling you something specific that you can change, that you can test to see if it’s going to make things better.  And if they can’t, if all they’re saying is you’re not worth nothing, then that’s probably not something that you want to pay a lot of attention to.  Does that make sense?  All right. 

Young man right here.

Q    Hi.  My name is Wayne Welker (ph) and I’m assistant crew leader and PowerCorps PHL and I’m from Philadelphia.  And my question is I heard about the Iftar that you had at the White House.  Any of our members -- all of our members, we’ve got some of our members who are working in the sun and they’re fasting, and they’re pushing through one of the initiatives to make the city greener.  We wanted to know if -- I wanted to know if we could come out, if we were invited to the Iftar at the White House.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, maybe next year.  I only do it once a year.  But we appreciate you.  What we try to do -- for those of you who aren’t familiar, the Iftar is the breaking of fast during the month of Ramadan, which is a holy time for those of the Muslim faith.  In the same way that we do Christmas celebrations and Hanukkah celebrations, every faith, what we try to do is to recognize that what makes this country great is we may have different faiths but we all come together as one American family.

And so we hosted a dinner just -- was it last week?  It was last week.  I lost track of time these days because this is what happens when you get older, young men, so -- (laughter.)  But next year, we’ll see if we can have somebody from your organization.  It was a wonderful dinner.  The only problem is, is that in most areas where the Muslim faith evolved, sunset is a lot earlier.  When you start getting up north, these poor folks, it’s nine o’clock, they’re starving.  (Laughter.)  So it gets dark late. 

Yes, young man right here.  Yes.

Q    I’m from the great state of Montana. 

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s a beautiful state.

Q    My question for you, Mr. President, is how is the United States government helping American Indian people revitalize their language and culture?  Because so many of our young men and boys don’t know who they are because they’ve lost their culture and language, and the United States government has tried so hard for the past 200 years to destroy that.

THE PRESIDENT:  Look, it’s a great question.  As you may be aware, I was at an Indian reservation in South Dakota recently.  And I met with a group of young people -- this is young men and women -- wonderful young men and women.  Just extraordinary.  And I won’t share with you exactly what they told me about their lives because it was private and they really opened up.  But I can tell you that it was heartbreaking to hear some of the stories, in part because you got a sense of what the history of the interaction between the United States government and Native American peoples had done to the culture.

The Bible says without vision a people will perish.  And what happens when you start losing your language and you start losing your culture and you don’t have a sense of connections to ancestors and those memories that date back generations is you start feeling adrift.  And if you’re living in a society that devalues that, then you start maybe devaluing yourself and internalizing some of those doubts.

Now, the good news is what we started seeing -- for example, at the pow-wow that existed at the reservation, there was a Lakota language school for little kids, starting very early.  They were learning math and science and all the subjects, but they were also in an immersion school, essentially, in their own language to empower them.

And part of what I’ve been talking to Secretary Duncan about and Sally Jewell, who is the head of the Department of Interior, about is how do we incorporate more effectively into the school curriculums, into social programs, et cetera, a recognition of the distinct cultures of these native peoples.  Because if young people come up proud of their past, then they’ll have a more powerful sense of direction going forward.

Now, one thing I have to just say about all this, though, is the world is what it is.  It is a global world.  We live in the 21st century.  When I was up at the reservation everybody had a cellphone.  Everybody wanted to take selfies, like they always do.  People were texting.  And so you can’t ignore what’s happened.  You can’t just live in the past; you also have to look to the future -- which means that all the young Native Americans are also going to have to learn math, science, computer sciences, engineering.  There has to be an adaption to what is increasingly a world culture, even as you are also then connecting it back to your roots.  And sometimes that’s hard.

And part of what’s great about America is the way that we all take these different cultures and we make one culture out of it.  And we shouldn’t lose that.  That is -- we’re not just a collection of Jews and Irish and Native Americans and black -- we’re also Americans, so we have a common culture that binds us together.  There’s no contradiction between knowing your culture -- the traditional cultures out of which your families come, but also being part of the larger culture.

And I think that one of the things -- this is true not just for Native Americans, but it’s also true for African Americans.  Sometimes African Americans, in communities where I’ve worked, there’s been the notion of “acting white” -- which sometimes is overstated, but there’s an element of truth to it, where, okay, if boys are reading too much, then, well, why are you doing that? Or why are you speaking so properly?  And the notion that there’s some authentic way of being black, that if you’re going to be black you have to act a certain way and wear a certain kind of clothes, that has to go.  (Applause.)  Because there are a whole bunch of different ways for African American men to be authentic.

If you look at Michele, she grew up South Side.  And her mom still lives in a neighborhood where gunshots go off, and it can be rough where Michelle grew up.  But she’ll talk proper when she needs to.  Now, you also don’t want to get on her wrong side, because she can translate that into a different vernacular.  (Laughter.)

But my point is, is that you don’t have to act a certain way to be authentic.  You just have to be who you are -- and to go back to the values that you care about -- are you kind, are you responsible, do you work hard, can you delay gratification.  Well, the same is true in the Native American context.  We want to get past the idea that there’s a certain way of being Native American.  You need to know your culture, but you can also be part of this larger world. 

And there are some cultures, frankly, who’ve done this better than others.  I do think, for example, Jewish culture has been very powerful.  If you look in our society, the ability to transmit traditions through synagogues and the Torah and bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, so that people have a sense of 2,000 years of history, but everybody is still part of today and America and the world.

In many Asian American cultures, when they are part of -- first-generation immigrant, they might have a whole separate set of classes on weekends or after school where they’re learning their native tongues, the mother tongue, but they’re still focused, when you’re in school this is how you’re doing things.

So I think this is something that we have to spend some time thinking about -- making sure that we understand there’s a way of knowing your history, knowing your culture, being proud of it, using it as a strength, but not thinking that there’s just one way of you then having to act.  I think that’s very important.

Let me take a look here.  How many more questions can I take, by the way?  We got one or two?  All right, one or two.  Let’s see -- I’m just looking around.  You all look good, everybody looks good.  I just want to make sure that everybody gets a chance.  This young man in the corner here with the glasses.

Q    Hi.  I’m representing the Asian American League today. And my question, what is your opinion on D.C. statehood?

THE PRESIDENT:  On D.C. statehood?

Q    Yes. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that’s -- I’m in D.C., so I’m for it. (Laughter and applause.)  No, look, I think I’ve long believed that D.C. pays -- folks in D.C. pay taxes like everybody else.  They contribute to the overall well-being of the country like everybody else.  They should be represented like everybody else. And it’s not as if Washington, D.C. is not big enough compared to other states.  There has been a long movement to get D.C. statehood and I’ve been for it for quite some time.  The politics of it end up being difficult to get it through Congress, but I think it’s absolutely the right thing to do.

All right, that was an easy one.  Who else has got something?  Let’s see here.  See, I know that -- it’s tempting for me to call on a young woman.  You know what, I’m going to call on -- maybe she has a perspective that nobody else has.  This young lady right here.  Didn’t you have your hand up?  Okay, I wanted to make sure.  Go ahead.

Q    My name is Jakesha Gray (ph) and my question was --

THE PRESIDENT:  Why don’t you give her the mic because it’s hard for her to reach -- but you’re promising you’ll give it up.

Q    I promise.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.

Q    Because you don’t have any biological sons, what is the likelihood of you mentoring one of the young men in the program?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s not just one of the young men -- we’ve got a whole mentor program that we’re bringing -- I’m going to be spending time with all of them because I’m going to spread myself a little thin with all of them. 

The problem for just me taking one is obviously then all the other guys who are part of the program would be like, man, how did you get the President?  (Laughter.)  So that would not be fair.  So I’m going to be spending time with all the guys who are mentoring in the White House. 

These have both been short questions so I’m going to take a couple more.  This young man in the blue shirt right here.  This is one of our soon-to-be mentees at the White House.

Q    My name is Jonathan.  I’m from Burke, Virginia.  My question is, what advice can you give us so that we can achieve our goals?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m going to be giving you a whole bunch of advice so this won’t be an exhaustive list, but I’ll just start with a couple of things.  Number one is:  Work.  It’s a pretty simple concept.  There is nothing worthwhile where it just falls in your lap.  I mean, maybe once in a while somebody wins the lottery, but for the most part, everything you do that’s worthwhile requires work. 

We’ve got -- you guys are all too young to remember, but we’ve got -- Otis Birdsong here used to have one of the best jumpers in the NBA.  He looks like he could still play.  Otis, how many shots, when you were playing, how many shots would you take just, I don’t know -- thousands of shots, right?  I mean, if you talk to Chris or Steph Curry or Ray Allen or any great shooter, they are taking thousands of shots a day, so that when the time comes to make a big shot, it is just muscle memory.  It’s all burned in.  They have talent already, but they’ve worked.

It’s interesting -- you talk to young people about basketball and they kind of understand that.  They get that when it comes to sports.  But for some reason, you think the same doesn’t apply to school.  There is no reason why you should think that you will be a good reader if you don’t read a lot, and read books that are hard, as opposed to just books that are easy.  There is no reason to think that you will be good at mathematics if you are not doing math problems, and pushing yourself and trying math problems that are hard, not just ones that are easy. (Applause.)  There’s no reason why you should think that you’ll be well-informed about world events if you aren’t actually taking the time to read a newspaper once in a while and study what’s happening around the world.  So nothing you will do, if it’s going to be worthwhile, doesn’t involve some work. 

And that includes, by the way, being good parents.  Because I’ve got some friends who have still got young kids, and I’d forgotten -- I was watching -- my brother in law has got a -- my nephew -- a two-year-old and a five-year-old.  We call him Chairman of the Old Dads Club.  He started again.  And I’m watching them run around and it’s just exhausting.  (Laughter.)  No, small children are tiring.  And being loving and attentive and staying focused on what’s good for them, and disciplining them when necessary, that’s hard work. 

So work is number one.  Number two is figure out what it is that you care about passionately, something that you think is important to you.  Because if nothing is important to you, you’re not going to put in the work. 

Now, everybody has got different talents and everybody has got different passions.  And sometimes -- part of the goal of My Brother’s Keeper is to expose you to more things so that you don’t think that the only thing you can be passionate about is what you’re seeing on TV.  And part of the problem with young men of color is oftentimes the only thing they see to be passionate about is basketball or rap.  And we want to make sure you get exposed to graphic design, or you’re exposed to engineering, or you’re exposed to being a lawyer, so that maybe you will be passionate about that.

But the point is those two things go hand in hand.  If you find something you really care about, then that’s also what you’re going to really be willing to put a lot of work into and that’s what you’ll end up being good at.  So that’s goal number two. 

And goal number three -- or third thing -- and I’ve got a longer list, but here’s the third thing that’s pretty important  -- understand that you will not achieve by yourself, which means that you’ve got to be able to invest in relationships with other people who you can learn from, who will support you, who you will support in turn.  And if you learn how to be somebody who is a good teammate, who is connected and is thinking not just about yourself but about others as well, and they then respond to that by wanting to help you because you’ve shown yourself to be reliable or trustworthy or having somebody else’s back, you then build a network for yourself.  And that increases your capacity to get things done.

There are a handful of people who can do things on their own.  But even geniuses, even folks who are the best of the best at whatever they do, generally speaking, when you look at it you find out there’s a whole bunch of people behind them that have allowed them to succeed the way that they have.  And that’s part of what My Brother’s Keeper needs to be -- is just one more tool that you have to expand your network of people who can support your, give you ideas, buck you up when you’re down, open doors for you. 

Of course, the flip side is, though, you can’t just take -- you’ve also got to give.  So you’ve got to show enthusiasm. You’ve got to want to be involved.  You’ve got to be curious.  You’re going to have to ask questions.  If you have a mentor, you’ve got to show up on time.  If somebody is putting time into you, you’ve got to show appreciation for it and do your hardest to achieve. 

Same thing with teachers.  I don’t care how bad your school is, there’s a teacher in there somewhere who, if you went up to her or him and said, I really want to learn, can you help me, that teacher would snatch you up in a second, because they want to feel like they’re doing a good job.  (Applause.)  But if you’re just sitting in the back of the class slouching and complaining about how bad the school is, well, then you may be right to be angry that you don’t have enough school supplies, or the building is bad, or what have you, but it’s not going to help you.  You’re not going to learn. 

So you’ve got to be able to give as well as to take.  And if you learn that, those three things -- work, have a passion about something, and learn how to give and take with people so that you’re part of a broader team -- that’s a good place to start.  Then I’ll give you the other 20 things that you’ve got to do.  (Laughter.) 

Everybody, I’ve got to get going.  I want to say to everybody who’s been involved -- the school administrators who are here, the mayors who are here, the NBA, the companies, the mentors and businesses who have already set up mentorship programs, and most of all, the young people -- I am very excited about this.  I am proud of this.  This is not something that is just a one-off that’s going to happen one time and then we’re done.  This is a movement that we’re trying to build over the next year, five years, ten years, so that we can look back and say we were part of something that reversed some trends that we don’t want to see. 

We want fewer young men in jail; we want more of them in college.  We want fewer young men on the streets; we want more in the boardrooms.  We want everybody to have a chance to succeed in America.  (Applause.)  And it’s possible if we’ve got the kind of team that we set up today.

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

END< br /> 12:51 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2014

Remarks by the President at Signing of Executive Order on LGBT Workplace Discrimination

East Room

10:39 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House, everybody.  I know I'm a little late.  But that's okay because we've got some big business to do here. 

Many of you have worked for a long time to see this day coming.  You organized, you spoke up, you signed petitions, you sent letters -- I know because I got a lot of them.  (Laughter.) And now, thanks to your passionate advocacy and the irrefutable rightness of your cause, our government -- government of the people, by the people, and for the people -- will become just a little bit fairer.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Amen.  (Applause.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  It doesn’t make much sense, but today in America, millions of our fellow citizens wake up and go to work with the awareness that they could lose their job, not because of anything they do or fail to do, but because of who they are --  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender.  And that’s wrong.  We’re here to do what we can to make it right -- to bend that arc of justice just a little bit in a better direction. 

In a few moments, I will sign an executive order that does two things.  First, the federal government already prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  Once I sign this order, the same will be explicitly true for gender identity.  (Applause.)   

And second, we’re going to prohibit all companies that receive a contract from the federal government from discriminating against their LGBT employees.  (Applause.)    America’s federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people. 

Now, this executive order is part of a long bipartisan tradition.  President Roosevelt signed an order prohibiting racial discrimination in the national defense industry.  President Eisenhower strengthened it.  President Johnson expanded it.  Today, I'm going to expand it again. 

Currently, 18 states have already banned workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  And over 200 cities and localities have done the same.  Governor Terry McAuliffe is here; his first act as governor was to prohibit discrimination against LGBT employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  (Applause.)  Where did Terry go?  Right back here. 

I’ve appointed a record number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender public servants to positions across my administration.  They are ambassadors and federal judges, special assistants, senior advisors from the Pentagon to the Labor Department.  Every day, their talent is put to work on behalf of the American people.

Equality in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, it turns out to be good business.  That’s why a majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination policies in place.  It is not just about doing the right thing -- it’s also about attracting and retaining the best talent.  And there are several business leaders who are here today who will attest to that. 

And yet, despite all that, in too many states and in too many workplaces, simply being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender can still be a fireable offense.  There are people here today who’ve lost their jobs for that reason.  This is not speculative, this is not a matter of political correctness -- people lose their jobs as a consequence of this.  Their livelihoods are threatened, their families are threatened.  In fact, more states now allow same-sex marriage than prohibit discrimination against LGBT workers.  So I firmly believe that it’s time to address this injustice for every American. 

Now, Congress has spent 40 years -- four decades -- considering legislation that would help solve the problem.  That's a long time.  And yet they still haven’t gotten it done.  Senators Terry [Tammy] Baldwin and Jeff Merkley are here.  They have been champions of this issue for a long, long time.  We are very proud of them.  I know they will not stop fighting until fair treatment for all workers is the federal law of the land.  Everyone thanks them for that.  (Applause.)   

But I’m going to do what I can, with the authority I have, to act.  The rest of you, of course, need to keep putting pressure on Congress to pass federal legislation that resolves this problem once and for all.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Amen!

THE PRESIDENT:  Amen.  Amen.  (Applause.)  Got the “amen” corner here.  (Laughter.)  Well -- (sings) -- (laughter.)  You don't want to get me preaching, now.  (Laughter.)

For more than two centuries, we have strived, often at great cost, to form “a more perfect union” -- to make sure that “we, the people” applies to all the people.  Many of us are only here because others fought to secure rights and opportunities for us. And we’ve got a responsibility to do the same for future generations.  We’ve got an obligation to make sure that the country we love remains a place where no matter who you are, or what you look like, or where you come from, or how you started out, or what your last name is, or who you love -- no matter what, you can make it in this country. 

That’s the story of America.  That’s the story of this movement.  I want to thank all of you for doing your part.  We've got a long way to go, but I hope as everybody looks around this room, you are reminded of the extraordinary progress that we have made not just in our lifetimes, but in the last five years.  In the last two years.  (Applause.)  In the last one year.  (Applause.)  We're on the right side of history. 

I’m going to sign this executive order.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

(The executive order is signed.)

END
10:47 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 21, 2014

Statement by the President on the Situation in Ukraine and Gaza

South Lawn

11:16 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  I want to make a brief statement about the tragedy in Ukraine.  Before I do, though, I want to note that Secretary Kerry has departed for the Middle East.  As I’ve said many times, Israel has a right to defend itself against rocket and tunnel attacks from Hamas.  And as a result of its operations, Israel has already done significant damage to Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.  I’ve also said, however, that we have serious concerns about the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths and the loss of Israeli lives.  And that is why it now has to be our focus and the focus of the international community to bring about a cease-fire that ends the fighting and that can stop the deaths of innocent civilians, both in Gaza and in Israel.

So Secretary Kerry will meet with allies and partners.  I’ve instructed him to push for an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to the November 2012 cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.  The work will not be easy.  Obviously, there are enormous passions involved in this and some very difficult strategic issues involved.  Nevertheless, I’ve asked John to do everything he can to help facilitate a cessation to hostilities.  We don’t want to see any more civilians getting killed.

With respect to Ukraine, it’s now been four days since Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine.  Over the last several days, our hearts have been absolutely broken as we’ve learned more about the extraordinary and beautiful lives that were lost -- men, women and children and infants who were killed so suddenly and so senselessly.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with their families around the world who are going through just unimaginable grief.  I’ve had the opportunity to speak to a number of leaders around the world whose citizens were lost on this flight, and all of them remain in a state of shock but, frankly, also in a state of outrage. 

Our immediate focus is on recovering those who were lost, investigating exactly what happened, and putting forward the facts.  We have to make sure that the truth is out and that accountability exists. 

Now, international investigators are on the ground.  They have been organized.  I’ve sent teams; other countries have sent teams.  They are prepared, they are organized to conduct what should be the kinds of protocols and scouring and collecting of evidence that should follow any international incident like this.  And what they need right now is immediate and full access to the crash site.  They need to be able to conduct a prompt and full and unimpeded as well as transparent investigation.  And recovery personnel have to do the solemn and sacred work on recovering the remains of those who were lost.

Ukrainian President Poroshenko has declared a demilitarized zone around the crash site.  As I said before, you have international teams already in place prepared to conduct the investigation and recover the remains of those who have been lost.  But, unfortunately, the Russian-backed separatists who control the area continue to block the investigation.  They have repeatedly prevented international investigators from gaining full access to the wreckage.  As investigators approached, they fired their weapons into the air.  These separatists are removing evidence from the crash site, all of which begs the question -- what exactly are they trying to hide?

Moreover, these Russian-backed separatists are removing bodies from the crash site, oftentimes without the care that we would normally expect from a tragedy like this.  And this is an insult to those who have lost loved ones.  This is the kind of behavior that has no place in the community of nations.

Now, Russia has extraordinary influence over these separatists.  No one denies that.  Russia has urged them on.  Russia has trained them.  We know that Russia has armed them with military equipment and weapons, including anti-aircraft weapons.  Key separatist leaders are Russian citizens.  So given its direct influence over the separatists, Russia and President Putin, in particular, has direct responsibility to compel them to cooperate with the investigation.  That is the least that they can do. 

President Putin says that he supports a full and fair investigation.  And I appreciate those words, but they have to be supported by actions.  The burden now is on Russia to insist that the separatists stop tampering with the evidence, grant investigators who are already on the ground immediate, full and unimpeded access to the crash site.  The separatists and the Russian sponsors are responsible for the safety of the investigators doing their work.  And along with our allies and partners, we will be working this issue at the United Nations today. 

More broadly, as I’ve said throughout this crisis and the crisis in Ukraine generally, and I’ve said this directly to President Putin, as well as publicly, my preference continues to be finding a diplomatic resolution within Ukraine.  I believe that can still happen.  That is my preference today, and it will continue to be my preference.

But if Russia continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and to back these separatists, and these separatists become more and more dangerous and now are risks not simply to the people inside of Ukraine but the broader international community, then Russia will only further isolate itself from the international community, and the costs for Russia’s behavior will only continue to increase. 

Now is the time for President Putin and Russia to pivot away from the strategy that they’ve been taking and get serious about trying to resolve hostilities within Ukraine in a way that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and respects the right of the Ukrainian people to make their own decisions about their own lives.

And time is of the essence.  Our friends and allies need to be able to recover those who were lost.  That's the least we can do.  That's the least that decency demands.  Families deserve to be able to lay their loved ones to rest with dignity.  The world deserves to know exactly what happened.  And the people of Ukraine deserve to determine their own future. 

Thanks.

END
11:25 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 19, 2014

Weekly Address: Equipping Workers with Skills Employers Need Now and for the Future

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President discussed the importance of ensuring that the economic progress we’ve made is shared by all hardworking Americans. Through his opportunity agenda, the President is focused on creating more jobs, educating more kids, and working to make sure hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits. This week, the President will visit a community college in Los Angeles to highlight the need to equip our workers with the skills employers are looking for now and for the good jobs of the future, and he will continue looking for the best way to grow the economy and expand opportunity for more hardworking Americans.
                                                                                                      
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, July 19, 2014.
 
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
July 19, 2014
 
Hi, everybody.  Over the past 52 months, our businesses have created nearly 10 million new jobs.  The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since 2008.  Across lots of areas – energy, manufacturing, technology – our businesses and workers are leading again.  In fact, for the first time in over a decade, business leaders worldwide have declared that China is no longer the world’s best place to invest – America is.
 
None of this is an accident.  It’s thanks to your resilience, resolve, and hard work that America has recovered faster and come farther than almost any other advanced country on Earth.
 
Now we have the opportunity to ensure that this growth is broadly shared.  Our economy grows best not from the top-down, but from the middle-out.  We do better when the middle class does better.  So we have to make sure that we’re not just creating more jobs, but raising middle-class wages and incomes.  We have to make sure our economy works for every working American.
 
My opportunity agenda does that.  It’s built on creating more jobs, training more workers, educating all our kids, and making sure your hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits.
 
On Thursday, I traveled to Delaware to highlight how we’re trying to create more good, middle-class jobs rebuilding America: rebuilding roads and bridges, ports and airports, high-speed rail and internet.
 
This week, Vice President Biden will release a report he’s been working on to reform our job training system into a job-driven training system.  And I’ll visit a community college in L.A. that’s retraining workers for careers in the fast-growing health care sector. Because every worker deserves to know that if you lose your job, your country will help you train for an even better one.
 
In recent days, both parties in Congress have taken some good steps in these areas.  But we can do so much more for the middle class, and for folks working to join the middle class.  We should raise the minimum wage so that no one who works full-time has to live in poverty.  We should fight for fair pay and paid family leave.  We should pass commonsense immigration reform that strengthens our borders and our businesses, and includes a chance for long-time residents to earn their citizenship.
 
I want to work with Democrats and Republicans on all of these priorities.  But I will do whatever I can, whenever I can, to help families like yours.  Because nothing's  more important to me than you -- your hopes, your concerns, and making sure this country remains the place where everyone who works hard can make it if you try.  Thanks so much, and have a great weekend.
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Remarks by the President and the First Lady at the Kids State Dinner

East Room

12:17 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, Braeden.  (Laughter.)  All right, it’s going to be hard.  All right, mister, you’re not supposed to make the First Lady cry.  (Laughter.) 

Thanks so much.  You guys, let’s give Braeden a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Well done, young man.  Well done.  And thank you so much, Christy.  Thank you. 

Okay, this is cool, right?  You guys having a good time? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes?  Has it been exciting from beginning to end?

AUDIENCE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  What’s been the best part so far?

AUDIENCE:  You. 

MRS. OBAMA:  This?  All right, I didn't cue them on that one.  (Laughter.)  That was a natural response. 

Well, I am just delighted to have you guys.  You guys look amazing.  You have dressed so appropriately for the event.  Doesn't the room look beautiful?  They do such a great job.  And all this stuff was picked out especially for you guys.  It is really an honor to be here.

And I want to start by thanking Tanya and all the folks from Epicurious, the entire team, for, year after year, making this event possible.  It is truly the highlight of our lives, and I know that everyone involved really, really gets inspired from this event. 

And I’m also thrilled about the new Kids and Chefs Cook for Success program that you guys are launching.  And with this effort, you guys are going to take this whole thing to another level.  So I love the fact that, Epicurious, you’re finding ways to step this up every single year.  So thank you, guys, and a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

And, of course, to our Delta Airlines team for flying everybody here.  Oh, let’s all go!  Yay!  (Applause.)

How many people was it your first trip on an airplane?  Or is everybody old flying pros?  You’ve been flown before, huh?  You haven’t flown before?  Well, that's awesome.  So did Delta Airlines treat you well?

AUDIENCE:  Yes.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, there you go.  Bob was a little nervous on that question.  (Laughter.) 

And I want to join Tanya in also thanking all of the family members, the parents, the moms, the dads.  I know we have an aunt or two here, as well.  Thank you all so much for supporting your kids in this passion, and for cooking with them and for putting up with those endless messes in the kitchen.  Who’s a messy cook here?  (Laughter.)  Me, too.  Me, too.  (Laughter.)

But I hope you all know that their success is because of your love and your constant encouragement for their creativity.  So we’re just so grateful to all of you grownups who are here with us today, and I hope you’re having a good time, too.

But, of course, most of all, I want to recognize our guest of honor, our 54 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners!  (Applause.)  Congratulations.  (Applause.)  Yes, whoop it up.  Party in the White House.  It’s exciting.  I am so proud of you. The President is so proud of you.  Oh, look at the room out there.  I missed the balloons.  (Laughter.)  We have been working so hard to make this event special for you.

But these kids have been selected.  There were more than 1,500 kids that submitted their recipes for this year’s challenge, and it was not easy to choose just one winner from each state, so this was a competitive experience.  You had to claw your way to the finish line.  (Laughter.)  I hope you didn't push and shove anyone on the way up to the top.  But you made it. But you’re all here because a panel of distinguished judges agreed that your recipes were the very best.

And I want to thank all the judges.  Sam was one of those judges.  (Applause.)  There’s a lot of eating.  Did you taste all 1,500 recipes?

MR. KASS:  110 dishes.

MRS. OBAMA:  110 dishes. 

MR. KASS:  That's a lot. 

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, Sam.  (Laughter.)  Well done.

But yours were the most nutritious and the most delicious, all right?  So healthy and good, too, right?  And you guys took very different paths to get here.  Some of you started cooking as a way to bond with your families -- and that was true for Genene Wedd.  Hey, Genene, how are you?  From California.  He said, “I love cooking with my mom.  It is fun spending time with her and talking about my day.”

And for some of you, cooking is how you celebrate your culture or other cultures you’re interested in.  Lucy Hickerson  -- where’s Lucy?  I know I saw Lucy.  Where are you, Lucy?  Lucy is from Kentucky, and she made a pocket with sweet potatoes and kale.  And she describes her dish as a combination of an Indian samosa, a Spanish empanada and an Asian spring roll.  And what Lucy says, “It’s like going around the world in one bite.”  (Laughter.)

And some of you like to cook because you’re good at it and hope to make it a career.  That’s why Hannah Foley from Pennsylvania right here -– as she said -- she said, “I love to cook and hope to one day be a chef with my own show on the Food Network.”  (Laughter.)  Wait, she’s got a title.  (Laughter.)  It’s called, “H to the F to the Hannah Foley Chef.”   (Laughter.) Yes, that's been in my head for many days.  (Laughter.)  That's why I knew it.  H to the F -- okay. 

But no matter how you got to the White House today, you’re all here for one simple reason.  And I think Adrianna Nelson from West Virginia -- Adrianna, where are you?  Hi, you.  This is what she said.  She said, “I love to create healthy recipes because I feel great when I eat healthy.”  That's why you’re here.  Like Adrianna, you all know that what you eat affects how you feel, and how much energy you have, and how well you do at school.

And that’s really why I started Let's Move.  I did it because I care deeply about the kids in this country.  I really do.  Not just as First Lady, but I’m a mom, I’ve got two kids.  I love them, and I love you all just as much.  So it’s important for me to make sure that the things I do for my girls are the same things that every kid in this country has access to.   

And that’s why we’ve been working so hard to help families cook healthy meals at home, and to get more grocery stores into our communities, and to get companies to market healthier foods to kids. 

And most of all, that’s why we’ve been fighting so hard for our new healthy school lunches.  And I have to tell you, and I said this to some of you in the photo line that you all are my inspiration.  Kids like you really do inspire me.  You all represent 54 reasons why we know that we can do so much better by our kids when it comes to eating healthy because the truth is, is that if 8-, 9- and 10-year-old kids can cook and happily eat a healthy, tasty meal, then there is absolutely no reason why we can’t get nutritious food into every school in this country that kids will actually enjoy.  You guys remind me of that every single day.

Now, I know that some of you might have friends who want to bring back the junk food in the schools, right?  Because there’s always those kids.  They're like, give me my junk food back.  (Laughter.)  And I know that in recent months, we’ve even seen grownups, including folks in Congress, trying to undo some of the progress that we’ve made to get healthier food into our schools. And while the vast majority of the schools are doing just fine with these new standards, those few complaining voices happen to be the loudest voices and they’re getting the most attention right now.

So here’s what I’m going to ask you to do for this year.  I need you guys to make your voices heard, too.  It’s important.  And don’t be shy.  I want you to speak up, talk to your classmates and your teachers.  Share with them what you’ve learned about healthy eating and cooking, about how to craft interesting things.  Like, Braeden, you might even get your school to test your recipe in the lunchroom for other kids.  Teach them what you know about healthy eating.

And also, to the parents, parents play a really important role in what happens on the ground.  And in many instances, parents are way more powerful than people like us in the White House.  So I urge you guys to speak up as well, and to continue speaking up.  Go to those PTA meetings and those school board meetings and tell them what you know and what you’re learning, to make sure that they're listening to all the voices on this issue.

There’s a lot of money involved in feeding our kids at school.  We are currently spending $10 billion a year -- did you hear that, $10 billion a year -- on our school lunch programs.  So it’s not surprising that there are certain interests that are resisting change and trying to take us back to the old ways of doing business, because for them there’s a lot of money is on the line.  But you all have a right to expect that your hard-earned tax dollars will be spent on food that meets basic nutrition standards. 

It’s as simple as that.  Because when you are working so hard to prepare nutritious foods at home, I know that you don’t want all that work undone when you send your kids off to school and they’re eating in the lunchroom.  So we can’t afford to stay silent on this issue, because if we do we’re going to wind up right back where we started.  And that’s not acceptable.  Because I know that everyone in this room, at least, and many people around the country know that the food our kids are eating today will affect their health for decades.  We are laying an imprint on our kids with everything they put into their bodies today.  We know so much more about how nutrition and exercise impacts our children’s ability to focus and succeed both in school and in life.

And that’s why you guys, as parents, are so passionately supporting your kids on this issue -- you know that this is real, this isn’t a joke.  So what I don’t want to have happen is that 20 years from now I don’t want us to be looking back and saying to ourselves, man, we were almost there, we were right on the brink of transforming our kids’ health, but then things got tough and expensive, and then we didn’t stand up and we didn’t speak up, and we gave up too soon. 

Our kids deserve better than that.  And they don’t know, but we know -- we know better.  All of you kids, like kids across this country, deserve everything that we adults can muster up for you.  I have to tell my kids that every day -- I still know more than they do.  (Laughter.)  So when we know better, we have to do better for you.

So I hope that you all will serve as ambassadors, okay?  And think about, as Braeden did, how you will pay this forward.  And there are many, many ways you’re going to pay it forward.  There’s no one right answer on how you’re going to do it.  But when you get a chance to do something this special and to come to the White House, and have all this press and all these special things going on, I know for me when I think about my advantages, I think, I have to give that back to somebody else.  That is my obligation.  That’s the price I pay for standing here and hanging out. 

So I want you to think about what you’re going to do.  I want you to keep talking to other kids about eating healthy.  Help them learn.  Help them try new things.  And you’re going to run into bumps and bruises -- I know, Braeden, it must have been hard work starting your new non-profit organization.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy every step of the way, but it was so worth it, right, for the thanks that you get and knowing that you impact the lives of others. 

So I know each of you can do that in your own special way. And we’re going to do this again next year, so I hope that one of you will be standing here like Braeden, being able to share all the great things that you’ve done over the course of the year.  I can’t wait to see what you guys accomplish.  You all are pretty amazing young people. 

So I think with that, it’s time to eat, don’t you think?  I’m a little hungry.  I just had fruit for breakfast so I’m really ready to try all these dishes.  (Applause.)  You guys, have a great time.  And I will see you after lunch.  Enjoy.  (Applause.)

Wait, wait.  We have a special guest -- Braeden knew about this -- but another person who likes this event just as much as me, who never gets invited to sit down is the President of the United States.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  I am not going to hold up the meal -- everybody sit down.  (Laughter.)  I just wanted to come by because I love the event.  First of all, we have a lot of state dinners around here.

MRS. OBAMA:  We do.

THE PRESIDENT:  They’re not always as cheerful and fun as this.  (Laughter.)  First of all, everybody is older and a little stodgier.  But this is a much hipper crowd.  More colorful outfits -- so I like that.  But I also just love seeing young people who are doing wonderful things.  We are so proud of you.  To see the kind of leadership you’re taking and the way that you’ve really thrown yourselves into these projects is just really inspiring. 

And sometimes people ask me, you know, Mr. President, you have this really tough job and there is always stuff happening all around the world, and how do you keep up with all of it and how do you keep your spirits up?  And my answer is, because I meet young people every day who I know are energetic and are full of great ideas and are going to be continuing to make this country better.  This is one way to do it.  You guys are leaders in your schools and in your communities, and you’re helping to teach folks the importance of good nutrition, the importance of putting good fuel in your bodies so that you’re living healthy, active lives.

And by the way, one thing -- maybe I shouldn’t say this, but it’s not like our family -- including me -- don’t have some snacks once in a while -- (laughter) -- that may not be on the perfect nutrition chart.

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s true.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Each of us have our weaknesses, so I’m going to reveal some right now.  Malia, ice cream.  I mean, basically, it’s very hard for her to turn down ice cream.  But she has learned to kind of control herself when it comes to ice cream.

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s hard.

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s hard, but she still has fun when she does have ice cream.  In fact, the fact that she doesn’t have ice cream every day means when she has it --

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s very special.

THE PRESIDENT: -- it’s like, hallelujah.  She starts -- she is so happy.  (Laughter.)  Sasha -- what would you say is Sasha’s pig-out indulgence food?

MRS. OBAMA:  She likes sushi.

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, no.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s what she’s into.

THE PRESIDENT:  She is kind of into sushi right now.  She’s a little -- I love sushi, so maybe I had some influence there.  But let’s say -- her pies.  She pretty much takes dessert whenever she can.

MRS. OBAMA:  Pie.

THE PRESIDENT:  Pie.  She’s like me.  My big thing -- chips and guacamole.  (Laughter.)  Basically, if there is a bowl of good chips and guacamole --

MRS. OBAMA:  He loses it.

THE PRESIDENT:  -- I lose my mind.  (Laughter.)  I lose my mind.  And the First Lady -- French fries.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  But I’m going to say this.  I’m making a vow -- I’m going to take a break from French fries.

THE PRESIDENT:  Really?

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes.

THE PRESIDENT:  Wow, that’s big.  (Laughter and applause.) 

Now, the reason I make this point is that the question is not can you never have anything -- it’s, on a day-to-day basis, at lunches, at breakfast, at dinner, is your basic nutrition something that’s going to make you strong and make you healthy?  And if it is, then having fun food that may not be perfect for you, that’s okay, too. 

But we’re just all trying to develop good habits.  And the one thing I know about all these young people is they’ve got great work habits, because, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to do everything that they’ve done.  They’ve got great habits of caring about other people, because they’re out there spreading the word about what they’re doing.  And as a consequence, I’m really optimistic about what all these great young leaders are going to achieve in the future. 

So good luck.  Have a great Kids State Dinner -- even though it’s technically lunch.  (Laughter.)  Calling it a state lunch -- there was a debate about this and we thought --

MRS. OBAMA:  It doesn’t work.

THE PRESIDENT:  -- it doesn’t make sense, because we have state dinners.  So it’s a Kids State Dinner, even though it’s noon. 

And parents, good job, everybody.  You’ve got great kids.  (Applause.)

END
12:35 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2014

Statement by the President on Ukraine

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

11:52 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody. 

Yesterday, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border.  Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken -- men, women, children, infants -- who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine.  Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.

We know at least one American citizen, Quinn Lucas Schansman, was killed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family for this terrible loss.

Yesterday, I spoke with the leaders of Ukraine, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.  I told them that our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and that the American people stand with them during this difficult time.  Later today, I’ll be speaking to Prime Minister Abbott of Australia, which also suffered a terrible loss.

By far, the country that lost the most people on board the plane was the Netherlands.  From the days of our founding, the Dutch have been close friends and stalwart allies of the United States of America.  And today, I want the Dutch people to know that we stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in our grief and in our absolute determination to get to the bottom of what happened.

Here’s what we know so far.  Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine.  We also know that this is not the first time a plane has been shot down in eastern Ukraine.  Over the last several weeks, Russian-backed separatists have shot down a Ukrainian transport plane and a Ukrainian helicopter, and they claimed responsibility for shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet. Moreover, we know that these separatists have received a steady flow of support from Russia.  This includes arms and training.  It includes heavy weapons, and it includes anti-aircraft weapons. 

Here’s what must happen now.  This was a global tragedy.  An Asian airliner was destroyed in European skies, filled with citizens from many countries.  So there has to be a credible international investigation into what happened.  The U.N. Security Council has endorsed this investigation, and we will hold all its members -- including Russia -- to their word.  In order to facilitate that investigation, Russia, pro-Russian separatists, and Ukraine must adhere to an immediate cease-fire.  Evidence must not be tampered with.  Investigators need to access the crash site.  And the solemn task of returning those who were lost on board the plane to their loved ones needs to go forward immediately.

The United States stands ready to provide any assistance that is necessary.  We’ve already offered the support of the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board, which has experience in working with international partners on these types of investigations.  They are on their way, personnel from the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board. 

In the coming hours and days, I’ll continue to be in close contact with leaders from around the world as we respond to this catastrophe.  Our immediate focus will be on recovering those who were lost, investigating exactly what happened, and putting forward the facts. 

I want to point out there will likely be misinformation as well.  I think it's very important for folks to sift through what is factually based and what is simply speculation.  No one can deny the truth that is revealed in the awful images that we all have seen.  And the eyes of the world are on eastern Ukraine, and we are going to make sure that the truth is out.

More broadly, I think it's important for us to recognize that this outrageous event underscores that it is time for peace and security to be restored in Ukraine.  For months, we’ve supported a pathway to peace, and the Ukrainian government has reached out to all Ukrainians, put forward a peace plan, and lived up to a cease-fire, despite repeated violations by the separatists -- violations that took the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and personnel.

Moreover, time and again, Russia has refused to take the concrete steps necessary to deescalate the situation.  I spoke to President Putin yesterday in the wake of additional sanctions that we had imposed.  He said he wasn’t happy with them, and I told him that we have been very clear from the outset that we want Russia to take the path that would result in peace in Ukraine, but so far at least, Russia has failed to take that path.  Instead, it has continued to violate Ukrainian sovereignty and to support violent separatists.  It has also failed to use its influence to press the separatists to abide by a cease-fire.  That’s why, together with our allies, we’ve imposed growing costs on Russia.

So now is, I think, a somber and appropriate time for all of us to step back and take a hard look at what has happened.  Violence and conflict inevitably lead to unforeseen consequences.  Russia, these separatists, and Ukraine all have the capacity to put an end to the fighting.  Meanwhile, the United States is going to continue to lead efforts within the world community to de-escalate the situation; to stand up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; and to support the people of Ukraine as they courageously work to strengthen their democracy and make their own decisions about how they should move forward.

Before I take just a couple of questions let me remark on one other issue.  This morning, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel about the situation in Gaza.  We discussed Israel’s military operation in Gaza, including its efforts to stop the threat of terrorist infiltration through tunnels into Israel.  I reaffirmed my strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself.  No nation should accept rockets being fired into its borders, or terrorists tunneling into its territory.  In fact, while I was having the conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, sirens went off in Tel Aviv.

I also made clear that the United States, and our friends and allies, are deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life.  And that’s why we’ve indicated, although we support military efforts by the Israelis to make sure that rockets are not being fired into their territory, we also have said that our understanding is the current military ground operations are designed to deal with the tunnels, and we are hopeful that Israel will continue to approach this process in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and that all of us are working hard to return to the cease-fire that was reached in November of 2012. 

Secretary Kerry is working to support Egypt’s initiative to pursue that outcome.  I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that John is prepared to travel to the region following additional consultations.

Let me close by making one additional comment.  On board Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, there were apparently nearly 100 researchers and advocates traveling to an international conference in Australia dedicated to combating AIDS/HIV.  These were men and women who had dedicated their own lives to saving the lives of others and they were taken from us in a senseless act of violence.

In this world today, we shouldn’t forget that in the midst of conflict and killing, there are people like these -- people who are focused on what can be built rather than what can be destroyed; people who are focused on how they can help people that they’ve never met; people who define themselves not by what makes them different from other people but by the humanity that we hold in common.  It’s important for us to lift them up and to affirm their lives.  And it’s time for us to heed their example. 

The United States of America is going to continue to stand for the basic principle that people have the right to live as they choose; that nations have the right to determine their own destiny; and that when terrible events like this occur, the international community stands on the side of justice and on the side of truth. 

So with that, let me take just a couple questions.  I’ll start with you, Julie.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Just on a technical matter, does the U.S. believe that this passenger jet was targeted, or that those people who shot it down may have been going after a military -- thought they were going after a military aircraft?  And more broadly, this incident does seem to escalate the crisis in Ukraine to a level we haven’t seen before.  Does that change your calculus in terms of what the U.S. and perhaps Europe should be doing in terms of a response?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think it’s too early for us to be able to guess what the intentions of those who might have launched this surface-to-air missile might have had.  The investigation is going to be ongoing, and I think what we’ll see is additional information surfacing over the next 24 hours, 72 hours, the next week, the next month.

What we know right now, what we have confidence in saying right now is that a surface-to-air missile was fired and that's what brought the jet down.  We know -- or we have confidence in saying that that shot was taken within a territory that is controlled by the Russian separatists. 

But I think it’s very important for us to make sure that we don't get out ahead of the facts.  And at this point, in terms of identifying specifically what individual or group of individuals or personnel ordered the strike, how it came about, those are things that I think are still going to be subject to additional information that we’re going to be gathering.  And we’re working with the entire international community to make sure that the focus is on getting to the bottom of this thing and being truthful.

And my concern is obviously that there’s been a lot of misinformation generated in eastern Ukraine generally.  This should snap everybody’s heads to attention and make sure that we don't have time for propaganda, we don't have time for games.  We need to know exactly what happened.  And everybody needs to make sure that we’re holding accountable those who committed this outrage.

With respect to the second question, as you’re aware, before this terrible incident happened we had already ratcheted up sanctions against Russia.  And I think the concern not just of Russian officials but of the markets about the impact that this could have on the Russian economy is there for all to see.

I made clear to President Putin that our preferred path is to resolve this diplomatically.  But that means that he and the Russian government have to make a strategic decision:  Are they going to continue to support violent separatists whose intent is to undermine the government of Ukraine?  Or are they prepared to work with the government of Ukraine to arrive at a cease-fire and a peace that takes into account the interests of all Ukrainians?

There has been some improved language at times over the last month coming from the Kremlin and coming from President Putin, but what we have not seen is an actual transition and different actions that would give us confidence that that's the direction that they want to take.

And we will continue to make clear that as Russia engages in efforts that are supporting the separatists, that we have the capacity to increase the costs that we impose on them.  And we will do so.  Not because we’re interested in hurting Russia for the sake of hurting Russia, but because we believe in standing up for the basic principle that a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity has to be respected, and it is not the United States or Russia or Germany or any other country that should be deciding what happens in that country.

Q    At this point do you see any U.S. military role that could be effective?

THE PRESIDENT:  We don't see a U.S. military role beyond what we’ve already been doing in working with our NATO partners and some of the Baltic States, giving them reassurances that we are prepared to do whatever is required to meet our alliance obligations.

Steve Holland.

Q    Sir, thank you.  How much blame for this do you put on President Putin?  And will you use this incident now to push the Europeans for stronger action?

THE PRESIDENT:  We don't exactly know what happened yet, and I don't want to, as I said before, get out ahead of the facts.  But what I do know is, is that we have seen a ticking up of violence in eastern Ukraine that, despite the efforts of the Ukrainian government to abide by a cease-fire and to reach out and agree to negotiations, including with the separatists, that has been rebuffed by these separatists.  We know that they are heavily armed and that they are trained.  And we know that that’s not an accident.  That is happening because of Russian support.

So it is not possible for these separatists to function the way they’re functioning, to have the equipment that they have -- set aside what’s happened with respect to the Malaysian Airlines -- a group of separatists can’t shoot down military transport planes or, they claim, shoot down fighter jets without sophisticated equipment and sophisticated training.  And that is coming from Russia.

So we don’t yet know exactly what happened with respect to the Malaysian Airlines, although obviously we’re beginning to draw some conclusions given the nature of the shot that was fired.  There are only certain types of anti-aircraft missiles that can reach up 30,000 feet and shoot down a passenger jet.  We have increasing confidence that it came from areas controlled by the separatists.  But without having a definitive judgment on those issues yet, what we do know is, is that the violence that’s taking place there is facilitated in part -- in large part -- because of Russian support.  And they have the ability to move those separatists in a different direction.

If Mr. Putin makes a decision that we are not going to allow heavy armaments and the flow of fighters into Ukraine across the Ukrainian-Russian border, then it will stop.  And if it stops, then the separatists will still have the capacity to enter into negotiations and try to arrive at the sort of political accommodations that Mr. Putin himself says he wants to see.  He has the most control over that situation, and so far, at least, he has not exercised it.

Q    Tougher sanctions in Europe -- will you push for them?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think that this certainly will be a wake-up call for Europe and the world that there are consequences to an escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine; that it is not going to be localized, it is not going to be contained.  What we’ve seen here is -- just in one country alone, our great allies, the Dutch, 150 or more of their citizens being killed.  And that, I think, sadly brings home the degree to which the stakes are high for Europe, not simply for the Ukrainian people, and that we have to be firm in our resolve in making sure that we are supporting Ukraine in its efforts to bring about a just cease-fire and that we can move towards a political solution to this.

I’m going to make this the last question.  Lisa Lerer, Bloomberg.

Q    Do we know yet if there were other Americans on board beyond the person you mentioned?  And how do you prevent stricter restrictions, economic sanctions from shocking the global economy and -- 

THE PRESIDENT:  We have been pretty methodical over the last 24 hours in working through the flight manifest and identifying which passengers might have had a U.S. passport.  At this point, the individual that I mentioned is the sole person that we can definitively say was a U.S. or dual citizen. 

Because events are moving so quickly, I don’t want to say with absolute certainty that there might not be additional Americans, but at this stage, having worked through the list, been in contact with the Malaysian government, which processed the passports as folks were boarding, this is our best assessment of the number of Americans that were killed.  Obviously that does nothing to lessen our outrage about all those families.  Regardless of nationality, it is a heartbreaking event.

With respect to the effect of sanctions on the economy, we have consistently tried to tailor these sanctions in ways that would have an impact on Russia, on their economy, on their institutions or individuals that are aiding and abetting in the activities that are taking place in eastern Ukraine, while minimizing the impacts on not only the U.S. economy but the global economy. 

It is a relevant consideration that we have to keep in mind.  The world economy is integrated; Russia is a large economy; there’s a lot of financial flows between Russia and the rest of the world.  But we feel confident that at this point the sanctions that we’ve put in place are imposing a cost on Russia, that their overall impact on the global economy is minimal.  It is something that we have to obviously pay close attention to, but I think Treasury, in consultation with our European partners, have done a good job so far on that issue.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:15 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2014

Remarks by the President on the Economy -- Wilmington, DE

Port of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware

2:10 P.M.
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Everybody, please have a seat.  Please have a seat.  It is wonderful to be back in Delaware.

Before I begin, obviously the world is watching reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border.  And it looks like it may be a terrible tragedy.  Right now, we’re working to determine whether there were American citizens onboard.  That is our first priority.  And I’ve directed my national security team to stay in close contact with the Ukrainian government.  The United States will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened and why.  And as a country, our thoughts and prayers are with all the families of the passengers, wherever they call home.

I want to thank Jeremie for that introduction.  Give Jeremie a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  It is great to be in the state that gave us Joe Biden.  (Applause.)  We’ve got actually some better-looking Bidens with us here today.  (Laughter.)  We've got Beau and his wife, Hallie, are here.  Give them a big round of applause.  We love them.  (Applause.)  We've got Governor Jack Markell.  (Applause.)  Senator Chris Coons, Congressman John Carney, County Executive Tom Gordon, and the Mayor of Wilmington, Dennis Williams.  (Applause.)  We've also got two terrific members of my Cabinet -- Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is here -- (applause) -- and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is here.  (Applause.) 

Jack Lew’s signature is actually on your money.  (Laughter.) Although it's kind of illegible.  We teased him when he first became Treasury Secretary that he was going to have to fix his signature a little bit because it looked just like a caterpillar running along the bottom.  (Laughter.)   

Now, the bridge behind me used to carry 90,000 cars every day -- 90,000.  Since last month, it’s been closed for repairs.  Once workers are done repairing it, this bridge will be safer, it will be more reliable for commuters and for commerce.  And thanks to a competitive grant program called TIGER -- a program, by the way, that was part of the Recovery Act that we initiated when I first came into office and Joe Biden helped to manage -- this port is rebuilding a wharf that will finally let Wilmington compete with other ports for the biggest cargo ships.  (Applause.)  For the biggest cargo ships.  So far, TIGER grants have given a boost to 270 infrastructure projects and thousands of jobs all across 50 states.

And that’s what I’m here to talk about today -- and I've been talking about this all week -- creating more good jobs rebuilding America, and the opportunity that we have to seize to rebuild the American middle class.

After the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, in part because of the actions we took, primarily because of the strength and determination of the American people, our businesses have now added nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months.  (Applause.)  Construction and housing are rebounding.  The auto industry is booming -- it was in a tailspin when we came in.  Manufacturing is adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.  The unemployment rate is at its lowest point since September of 2008 -- which is one of the fastest one-year drops in nearly 30 years.  (Applause.) 

And the decisions we made -- not only to rescue our economy, but to start rebuilding it on a firmer foundation -- those decisions are starting to pay off.  We are more energy independent.  For the first time in nearly 20 years, we produce more oil here in the United States than we buy from abroad.  First time in 20 years we're doing that.  (Applause.)   
At the same time, we’re actually reducing our carbon pollution, and we're creating new jobs in clean and renewable energies -- three times as much wind power; 10 times as much solar power.

In education, our high school graduation rate is at a record high.  More young people are earning college degrees than ever before.  401(k)s are growing.  Fewer homes are underwater.  Millions more now have the peace of mind of having quality, affordable health care if they need it.  And the deficit is coming down to boot, been cut more than half.  (Applause.) 

So by almost every economic measure, we're doing a whole lot better now than we were when I came into office.  And as I said, most of it is thanks to you, the resilience and the resolve of the American people.  Because of that we've recovered faster and come farther than almost any other advanced country on Earth.  And business leaders, for the first time in a decade, around the world are saying that China is not the best place to invest; the United States of America is the most promising place to invest.

So we’ve got this huge opportunity to keep this momentum going, to keep growing the economy, but also to make sure that growth is broadly shared.  We got to make sure we’re creating not just more jobs, but also raising middle-class wages and incomes, and making it easier for folks, if they’re working hard and doing the right thing, to raise a family. 

We got to make sure that we’re not just graduating more kids, we’ve got to also train more workers and make college more affordable.  We got to make sure our economy works for every American.  That’s why I ran for President.  That’s what I’m focused on every day.  And this is more than just some fleeting political story or made-up scandal; this is the challenge of our times -- making sure that if you work hard and you’re responsible, anybody can get ahead in this country.  That’s what America is about.  And we can achieve that if we just see a few changes in Washington’s priorities.

So, today, I’m here to talk about just one example: creating good jobs of the sort that Jeremie just talked about -- good jobs rebuilding America.  We know that in the 21st century economy, businesses are going to set up shop wherever they find the best roads, the best bridges, the fastest Internet connection, the fastest rail lines, the smartest airports, the best power grid.  First-class infrastructure attracts investment and it creates first-class jobs.  Unfortunately, right now, our investment in transportation lags behind a lot of other countries.  China is doing more.  Germany is doing more.  They’re putting money back into building the infrastructure we need to grow over the long term.

And if Washington were working the way it was supposed to, Congress would be creating jobs right now, jobs just like Jeremie talked about -- jobs like these guys in the hard hats are doing right now rebuilding bridges and roads and airports and ports all across the country.  (Applause.)  It helps us now and it helps up create jobs tomorrow.  That’s what we should be doing.

But instead of creating jobs rebuilding our infrastructure in a predictable, sustainable way, the debate in Washington lately has been about something called the Highway Trust Fund.  It’s how America is supposed to support states on transportation projects.  Congress has to keep it funded, otherwise states have to put projects on hold, put construction workers back on the unemployment line. 

The good news is, Democrats and Republicans are about to pass a short-term fix that will keep funding going for about another nine or ten months.  And I support that.  I mean, the least we can do is just support the jobs that are already there, keep Americans on the job.  But if that’s all Congress does, then we’re going to have the same kind of funding crisis nine months from now.  And that’s not how normally you fund infrastructure, because you got to plan it and you got to think about how are we helping folks and how are we helping states and cities and municipalities create plans for the future and make sure that the funding streams are level.  We don’t need unhelpful and unnecessary deadlines that crunch a few months from now.  And we shouldn't have been this close to the deadline in the first place. 

As your governor has pointed, even smaller transportation projects can take years to design and plan and build.  A few months of funding doesn’t cut it.  And so Jack said, “To call this a Band-Aid is an insult to a Band-Aid.”  That's a pretty good line.   (Laughter.)  I’m going to have to try that out.  (Applause.)

So Congress shouldn’t be too proud.  It shouldn’t pat itself on the back for kicking the can down the road every few months.  Instead of barely paying our bills in the present, we should be planning and investing in our future.  That’s how the economy grows for everybody.  The American people work hard every single day, and your efforts shouldn't be threatened every few months by a manufactured crisis in Washington.  Everything doesn't have to be done at the last minute every time.

So what I’ve done is earlier this year put forward a plan to rebuild our transportation infrastructure in a long-term responsible way, a plan that would support millions of jobs, would give cities and states and private investors the certainty they need to hire more workers faster.  It would help small businesses ship their goods faster.  It would help parents get home from their commute faster so they can see their kids.

And it wouldn’t add to what is already a rapidly shrinking deficit because we pay for it in part by closing loopholes for companies that are shipping profits overseas and are avoiding paying their fair share of taxes.  So that's what we need, a broad-based plan.  We got $2 trillion worth of deferred maintenance in this country in roads and bridges and sewer systems and water mains.  And we could put a lot of people back to work right now getting that done.  And we’re going to have to do it eventually anyway.

But so far, Congress has refused to act on the idea -- which is strange because infrastructure should not be a partisan issue.  If you think about it, it was a Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, who built the Interstate Highway System.  Lincoln built the Transcontinental Railroad.  Both parties historically have understood that investing in this country for the long run pays off.  When we invest in infrastructure we’re making sure that the economy is growing not just for the next five years, but for another century.  That's what right now Republicans in Congress don't seem to be focused on.  But until they do get focused on it, I’m going to do whatever I can to create jobs rebuilding America on my own.  (Applause.)  

So today, we’re launching what we call the Build America Investment Initiative.  And as part of it, we’re creating a one-stop shop for cities and states looking to partner with the private sector to fund infrastructure projects.  There are lots of investors who want to back infrastructure projects because, when it’s done right, they then get a steady, long-term investment.  They get a steady return.

And lots of states and local governments would welcome more private investment, but they need a partner in the federal government to help do some matchmaking and work through some of the complexities of private financing of infrastructure.  So my administration is going to help states and cities apply for federal loans, get more public-private partnerships up and running, get more investment flowing into communities like Wilmington.

And this builds on other actions we’ve taken to speed up the permitting process for big projects, and attract new manufacturing jobs to America, and raise more workers’ wages, help women fight for fair pay, ease loan burdens for millions of students.  We’re taking steps on our own, still hoping that Congress at some point actually does something.  (Applause.)

I keep hearing from folks all across the country who tell me if members of Congress have the same priorities that most Americans do, if they felt the same sense of urgency that you feel in your own lives, we could help a lot of families right now.
Instead of playing politics, we should be creating jobs by investing in what makes our economy strong -– infrastructure and manufacturing and energy, and research and development, and education.  All these things lead to new industries. 
We should be training our workers to fill new jobs.  We should be preparing our kids to face global competition.  We should be making sure that hard work pays off with a higher minimum wage.

We should be seizing these opportunities.  And there’s a simple principle behind it.  When the middle class does good, and when people have ladders into the middle class if they work hard, everybody does better.  You have more customers for businesses.  Folks at the very top do better.  America grows best from the middle out, not from the top down.  That's when we succeed.

So I’m going to keep on looking for areas where Republicans and Democrats agree to move this country forward.  But I’m not going to stand by when politics and inaction are holding us back.  (Applause.)
Wherever and whenever I have a chance to help families like yours I’m going to do it.  When I have a chance to help communities like Wilmington, I’m going to do it.  That’s when my administration takes these executive actions, when Congress won’t act.

And so far, the only response we’ve gotten from the Republicans is a lawsuit.  (Laughter.)  They're suing me for doing my job, instead of going ahead and doing their job.  That's disappointing.  It’s a political stunt.  And, by the way, they're using taxpayer money to do it.  It’s your money that they're wasting on this, which no serious lawyers think makes any sense.  It’s just a political stunt.  We could be spending the time, energy, and effort and money to help your families.

And maybe the folks behind this think it will help them politically.  I guarantee you, it’s not helping you.  We could do so much more if we rally around a sense of patriotism that says we can disagree on issues once in a while, but come on, let’s focus on our country, let’s focus on our people -- a sense of common purpose, the understanding we rise or fall as one nation and as one people.  That’s how we built this country together.  And that’s what Washington has to remember.
And the one thing I know for certain -- if we work together, if we believe in one another, then we’re going to keep on rebuilding our middle class.  We’re going to restore the American Dream for the next generation.  We will continue to make sure that America is the place where no matter what you look like, or where you come from, or how you started, you can make it if you try.  You’ve shown it here in Delaware.  We can show it all across the country.  We just need a little more focus in Washington.  So keep the pressure on everybody.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  God bless you.  Let’s build some bridges.  Let’s build some roads.  God bless America. 

END
2:26 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady at Grammy Museum's Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon

Grammy Museum
Los Angeles, California

12:32 P.M. PDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Well, hello, everyone!  How are you guys doing?

AUDIENCE:  Good!

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s really exciting, huh?

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, it is a pleasure for me to be here for the inaugural Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon.  I want to start by thanking Bob for that very kind introduction and for his visionary leadership of the Grammy Museum, and for sharing that story.  And in response, yes, we did hear.  (Laughter.)  We heard everything.  We can hear everything that goes on on the State floor upstairs.  But as Bob noted, it was a beautiful sound.  It was the sound of growth and victory and happiness, and it filled the White House just as Barack and I had imagined.  So we were grateful for that night and so many, many wonderful nights shared with this organization.

I want to thank Chuck Ortner and his family for their tremendous generosity in making this luncheon possible.  Yes.  (Applause.)  And I want to give a special thank-you to your fabulous mayor, Mayor Garcetti.  We’re just thrilled that he could join us today, and we are grateful for his leadership.  (Applause.)

And I’d like to thank and congratulate today’s honorees -- my dear, dear friend, Janelle Monae, as well as Sunshine Cavalluzzi, who I will get to meet.  (Applause.)  Sunshine -- I’m going to see Sunshine soon.  We are so inspired by the both of you and so grateful for everything you do for our children.

And of course, I want to thank everyone here today for your support to bring arts education to young people across this country.  Your work has been at the heart of our vision for the White House right from the very beginning, as Bob shared.

Now, traditionally, when it comes to hosting cultural events, the White House has always brought in the most renowned performers in the world.  And in the past, the audiences for these performances were usually a lot of pretty fancy people -- politicians, business leaders, celebrities -- the kind of folks who get invited to the White House all the time.

But when Barack and I first came to Washington, we decided that it was time to shake things up a little bit.  We wanted to do everything we could to make the White House the “People’s House.”  We wanted to open it up to as many people in this country as possible, especially our young people.  So when we started inviting performers to the White House, as Bob mentioned, we told everyone that we also expected them to spend some time with young people, doing workshops and these wonderful mentoring sessions.

And that’s where all of you came in.  Thanks to your generosity, the Grammy Museum has flown nearly 1,000 students to Washington to visit the White House and take part in these programs, and thousands more have participated by video.  These young people have had so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences. They’ve explored soul music with Janelle Monae, Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle -- that was good.  (Laughter.)  They’ve learned about country music with Lyle Lovett, Darius Rucker, Kris Kristofferson.  As you heard, they talked about Motown with Smokey Robinson and John Legend.  I could go on and on.  These sessions are amazing.  

And I have to tell you, these are some of my favorite events at the White House.  They’re these truly intimate moments when the artists and the kids are sitting around in the State Dining Room.  Very special.  I make sure they know they’re sitting where we host kings and queens and leaders from all over the world.  And in that room, they’re pouring their hearts out to each other.  They get really close.  They’re not just talking about music -- they’re talking about their hopes and dreams and their fears.  They’re talking about the value of hard work, things like staying true to yourself, picking yourself up when you fall.  That’s one thing I always say to the students -- failure is your only guarantee in life.  So you got to figure that out.

And let me tell you, so many of the young people who’ve had these experiences, they walk away transformed -- how can you help but not be transformed -- with a new sense of purpose and hope. 

Just take the example of a young woman named Trina Vargas who attended a workshop -- she attended that first workshop on the music of the civil rights, back in 2010, that Bob talked about.  Now, Trina was raised by a single mother, much like many of the artists who perform and we have known and love.  She’s from Guatemala.  Her mother never had a chance to go to college herself.  And while Trina worked hard in school, she wasn’t always sure that hard work would really pay off.

But her trip to the White House opened her eyes, and as she put it -- and these are just a few of her words -- she said, “I saw for the first time how education and hard work could open doors I never dreamed possible.”  And she said, even though it isn’t easy to -- and “it’s easy to feel discouraged at times,” she said, “I won’t stop chasing my dreams.”

Well today, four years later, Trina has graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Albany, and she’s now working her way towards law school.  (Applause.)  And I’m sure I could share hundreds of stories just like that. 

So make no mistake about it, programs like this aren’t just about taking a fun field trip to Washington, and they shouldn’t just be luxuries for kids who can afford it.  Because we know that engagement in the arts can unlock a world of possibilities for our young people, especially when it comes to their education. 

Studies show that kids who are involved in the arts have higher grades, higher graduation rates, higher college enrollment rates.  And when you think about it, that’s not really surprising.  Because for many young people, arts education is the only reason they get out of bed in the morning.  Just like Janelle, they go to school each day because there’s an instrument they want to play, a musical they want to perform in, a painting they are dying to finish.  See, and then once they arrive in those classrooms, that’s when we can teach them something else, like math and writing and science.  That is the power of the arts for so many of our young people. 

But today, as we honor your work to promote arts education and we recognize leaders like Sunshine and Janelle, we also need to be thinking about all the young people who will never have these opportunities in this country.  We need to be thinking about the six million children in this country who don’t have a single art or music class in their schools.  (Applause.)

So for every Janelle Monae, there are so many young people with so much promise [that] they never have the chance to develop.  And think about how that must feel for a kid to have so much talent, so much that they want to express, but it’s all bottled up inside because no one ever puts a paintbrush or an instrument or a script into their hand. 

Think about what that means for our communities, that frustration bottled up.  Think about the neighborhoods where so many of our kids live -- neighborhoods torn apart by poverty and violence.  Those kids have no good outlets or opportunities, so for them everything that’s bottled up -- all that despair and anger and fear -- it comes out in all the wrong places.  It comes out through guns and gangs and drugs, and the cycle just continues.  

But the arts are a way to channel that pain and frustration into something meaningful and productive and beautiful.  And every human being needs that, particularly our kids.  And when they don’t have that outlet, that is such a tremendous loss, not just for our kids, but for our nation.  And that’s why the work you all are doing is so important. 

But we can’t stop here.  Yes, you all have an abundance of riches here in Los Angeles.  And yes, we do have a pretty big platform at the White House; people do tend to accept our invitations to perform and interact with young people.  We’ve got a little leverage.  But let’s not forget that there are theaters and symphonies and museums in cities and towns all across this country.  And with every exhibit and performance they put on, these folks should be asking themselves, “How can we get some kids in here?  How can we get these artists and performers to connect with young people in those communities?” 

In other words, every arts organization in this country should be embracing the mission of the Grammy Museum.  Because we cannot be satisfied until every child in America has some kind of exposure to the arts -- every child.  Every child.  (Applause.) 

And to all the young people here today, I just want to urge you all to take the fullest advantage of these opportunities when you get them.  Try as many new art forms as you can, and take some risks.  Don’t be afraid to express yourself.  And most importantly, take the lessons you learn through arts and apply them at school, and bring that same passion and dedication to getting the education you need to fulfill your dreams.  And so many of you are already doing that, and I am incredibly proud of you all. 

But today, I want to urge you to dream even bigger, work even harder, and don’t ever give up, no matter what challenges you face.  Because if you do that, there is no limit to what you can achieve.  And remember, there are so many people who believe in you.  I believe in you.  Your President believes in you.  And all of these people here today believe in you. 

So go out there and make us proud.  And more importantly, make yourselves proud.  Yes.  (Applause.)

And to all of you here today who are doing so much to support these amazing young people, I want to end as I started by once again saying thank you.  Thank you for your commitment to their future, to our country’s future.  And I do look forward to continuing our work together in the months and years ahead.

Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

I have one more wonderful task here today.  You know that little fireplug of a woman that just stood here today?  Well, I’m going to introduce her, because she’s going to come out here and do her thing. 

But let me just say something about this young, beautiful, talented woman.  First of all, I am honored to be the first Electric Lady.  (Laughter.)  I got my letter in the mail -- I framed it; it’s up.  But when you listen to Janelle, when you hear her speak -- I love to hear her perform.  And yes, she was on a table in the White House.  And that’s our little secret.  (Laughter.)  But I love to hear her perform, but I love to hear her talk.  I love Janelle’s message. 

I love that she is one of the young artists here who is making music that means something.  She has a message.  She has a voice.  She has a power in her.  And she understands the responsibility she has within her grasp to take these opportunities and just take off with them.  She serves as a role model and an inspiration to so many young people.  And I am happy to call her my friend.  I am so proud of her. 

It is my pleasure to introduce the one, the only -- Janelle Monae.  (Applause.) 

END
12:46 P.M. PDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2014

Remarks by the President on Foreign Policy

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

5:44 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I want to briefly discuss the important actions we’re taking today in support of Ukraine.  Before I do, I want to take a few minutes to update the American people on some pressing foreign policy challenges that I reviewed with Secretary Kerry this afternoon.

First of all, I thanked Secretary Kerry and our outstanding civilian and military leaders in Afghanistan for their success in helping to break the impasse over the presidential election there.  Thanks to their efforts and, of course, thanks to the Afghans and the courage of the two candidates, both of whom I spoke to last week, the candidates have agreed to abide by the results of a comprehensive and internationally supervised audit that will review all the ballots, and to form a unity government.  If they keep their commitments, Afghanistan will witness the first democratic transfer of power in the history of that nation. 

This progress will honor both candidates who have put the interests of a united Afghanistan first, the millions of Afghans who defied threats in order to vote, and the service of our troops and civilians who have sacrificed so much.  This progress reminds us that even as our combat mission in Afghanistan ends this year, America’s commitment to a sovereign, united, and democratic Afghanistan will endure –- along with our determination that Americans are never again threatened by terrorists inside of Afghanistan.

Second, John updated me on the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.  Over the last six months, Iran has met its commitments under the interim deal we reached last year -- halting the progress of its nuclear program, allowing more inspections and rolling back its more dangerous stockpile of nuclear material.  Meanwhile, we are working with our P5-plus-1 partners and Iran to reach a comprehensive agreement that assures us that Iran’s program will, in fact, be peaceful and that they won’t obtain a nuclear weapon. 

Based on consultations with Secretary Kerry and my national security team, it’s clear to me that we have made real progress in several areas and that we have a credible way forward.  But as we approach a deadline of July 20th under the interim deal, there are still some significant gaps between the international community and Iran, and we have more work to do.  So over the next few days, we’ll continue consulting with Congress -- and our team will continue discussions with Iran and our partners –- as we determine whether additional time is necessary to extend our negotiations.

Third, we continue to support diplomatic efforts to end the violence between Israel and Hamas.  As I’ve said repeatedly, Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks that terrorize the Israeli people.  There is no country on Earth that can be expected to live under a daily barrage of rockets.  And I’m proud that the Iron Dome system that Americans helped Israel develop and fund has saved many Israeli lives.

But over the past two weeks, we’ve all been heartbroken by the violence, especially the death and injury of so many innocent civilians in Gaza —- men, women and children who were caught in the crossfire.  That’s why we have been working with our partners in the region to pursue a cease-fire -- to protect civilians on both sides.  Yesterday, Israel did agree to a cease-fire.  Unfortunately, Hamas continued to fire rockets at civilians, thereby prolonging the conflict.

But the Israeli people and the Palestinian people don’t want to live like this.  They deserve to live in peace and security, free from fear.  And that’s why we are going to continue to encourage diplomatic efforts to restore the cease-fire, and we support Egypt’s continued efforts to bring this about.  Over the next 24 hours we’ll continue to stay in close contact with our friends and parties in the region, and we will use all of our diplomatic resources and relationships to support efforts of closing a deal on a cease-fire.  In the meantime, we’re going to continue to stress the need to protect civilians -- in Gaza and in Israel –- and to avoid further escalation.

Finally, given its continued provocations in Ukraine, today I have approved a new set of sanctions on some of Russia’s largest companies and financial institutions. Along with our allies, with whom I’ve been coordinating closely the last several days and weeks, I’ve repeatedly made it clear that Russia must halt the flow of weapons and fighters across the border into Ukraine; that Russia must urge separatists to release their hostages and support a cease-fire; that Russia needs to pursue internationally-mediated talks and agree to meaningful monitors on the border.  I’ve made this clear directly to Mr. Putin.  Many of our European partners have made this clear directly to Mr. Putin.  We have emphasized our preference to resolve this issue diplomatically but that we have to see concrete actions and not just words that Russia, in fact, is committed to trying to end this conflict along the Russia-Ukraine border.  So far, Russia has failed to take any of the steps that I mentioned.  In fact, Russia’s support for the separatists and violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty has continued.

On top of the sanctions we have already imposed, we are therefore designating selected sectors of the Russian economy as eligible for sanctions.  We are freezing the assets of several Russian defense companies.  And we are blocking new financing of some of Russia’s most important banks and energy companies.  These sanctions are significant, but they are also targeted -- designed to have the maximum impact on Russia while limiting any spillover effects on American companies or those of our allies. 

Now, we are taking these actions in close consultation with our European allies, who are meeting in Brussels to agree on their next steps.  And what we are expecting is that the Russian leadership will see, once again, that its actions in Ukraine have consequences, including a weakening Russian economy and increasing diplomatic isolation. 

Meanwhile, we’re going to continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they seek to determine their own future.  Even in the midst of this crisis, they have made remarkable progress these past few months.  They held democratic elections, they elected a new president, they’re pursuing important reforms, and they signed a new association agreement with the European Union.  And the United States will continue to offer our strong support to Ukraine to help stabilize its economy and defend its territorial integrity because -- like any people -- Ukrainians deserve the right to forge their own destiny.  

So in closing, I’ll point out the obvious.  We live in a complex world and at a challenging time.  And none of these challenges lend themselves to quick or easy solutions, but all of them require American leadership.  And as Commander-in-Chief, I’m confident that if we stay patient and determined, that we will, in fact, meet these challenges. 

Thanks very much.

END 
5:53 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady at the Unite for Veterans Summit

Hyatt Regency
Los Angeles, California

11:37 A.M. PDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all.  (Applause.)  Rest yourselves.  I just heard the charge.  You’re going to need your energy, so I want you all well rested.  Please sit.  It is truly a pleasure to be with you here in Los Angeles on this terrific occasion.  

I want to start by thanking your amazing mayor, Mayor Garcetti, not just for that kind introduction, but for his tremendous leadership for this city, and for our veterans, and for his service to this country in the Navy Reserve.

And I also want to throw in a thank-you to his partner, Amy, because I know that her support is going to be critical in making sure you all reach this ambitious goal.  So I want to thank her for all the work that she has done in her role as first lady, for our veterans, for our servicemembers.  Let’s give them both another round of applause.  (Applause.) 

And, of course, I want to thank Matthew for his powerful story, for sharing his journey with us, and for all the work that he is doing to support other veterans in this city.  That is truly the amazing power of what our veterans do.  They keep giving.  That’s why we need to make sure that we give them all the resources they need to be the best Americans that they can be.  We are so proud of you, Matthew -- we really are.  (Applause.)

And to Elise for her remarks and leadership, we would not be here if it weren’t for the dedication and hard work of people like you.  We are so grateful.  As well as everyone from United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Southern California -- all of you, thank you for hosting this summit.  Thank you for your leadership, your work.  I am confident in what you are going to be doing, and grateful, just so incredibly grateful for taking this on.

And most importantly, I want to thank all of you for coming here today to show our veterans and their families that after all they have done for our country, that we have got their backs.  I have had a number of incredible opportunities as First Lady, and right at the top of the list is the time I’ve spent with our servicemembers and veterans and their families.

Over the last few years, as I’ve visited with these men and women at the White House or on bases and in communities around the country, I have been blown away by their stories.  I’ve been blown away by their courage, and dedication, and their unwavering commitment to excellence.

There’s the Army Ranger that I had the fortune of sitting next to at my husband’s State of the Union Address.  Remember the young man who had nearly been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, but fought back to speak again, and stand again, and walk again. 

There’s the soldier that we met just a month ago who was caught in a firefight in Afghanistan when a live grenade landed just feet away from him and his best friend.  He responded by jumping onto that grenade to save his friend’s life. 

And then there are the stories of the talent and skills these men and women display every day.  They are mastering cutting-edge technologies.  They’re leading dozens of their peers in the most dangerous missions on the planet.  They’re doing everything from handing out humanitarian aid, responding to incoming fire, building relationships with local leaders -- sometimes all in one day.  

And I’ve seen their excellence firsthand at the White House.  We have folks on our policy teams, our military aides, our Navy Mess staff.  They are some of the sharpest, most dynamic, and most effective people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. 

So when these men and women come home, they have got the skills that any company in America should want, and they’re more than prepared to succeed in any career or at any school they choose.  But too often, that transition back to civilian life presents all kinds of challenges and obstacles. 

Just try putting yourselves in their shoes for just a moment.  After spending your entire life in service to your country on a military base or in combat, you come home to a very different way of life.  The friends who have been by your side every minute are suddenly spread out all across the country, and there’s nobody around who understands what you’ve been through. The missions that drove you every day are gone.  The skills you’ve spent years developing are not valued or understood in the civilian world.

I met a man, young man, who served five years in the Navy, managing a team of sailors and dealing with complicated data and equipment.  But in the two years -- two and a half years after he came home, he went through dozens of rejections before UPS recognized his management skills and gave him a job.

Then there are even tougher stories.  A couple of months ago, I met a young woman who’d had experiences during her time in Afghanistan that she struggled to recover from once she returned home.  Her life unraveled.  She lost her job, got into drugs, ended up living out of her car before she got the therapy and employment she needed to get back on track. 

Now, I want to be clear -- just a tiny percentage of veterans end up homeless.  And the majority of these men and women transition back in good health and good spirits and go on to build successful careers and strong families.  But after everything they have done for us, the idea that any of our veterans are spending months, or even years, struggling to find a job is unacceptable.  (Applause.)  It’s unacceptable.

And the image of even one of these heroes sleeping out in the cold, huddled up next to an overpass -- that should horrify all of us.  Because that’s not who we are.  And the truth is, we know that there are simple steps that we can take -- whether that’s in business or government or in our communities -- to prevent and solve these kinds of problems. 

My husband has led the way to developing and devoting historic levels of funding and resources to helping our vets transition back to civilian life.  On employment, we’ve started new programs to help veterans get civilian licenses for jobs they did in the military.  Through our Joining Forces initiative, we have rallied businesses to hire or train more than half a million veterans and military spouses.  And we’ve launched a one-stop website to connect veterans to employers looking to hire them.  And any business or organization here today or out there listening that wants to hire vets should sign up at eBenefits.VA.gov. 

And when it comes to veteran homelessness, my husband vowed, as the mayor said, not just to address this issue, but to end it once and for all.  So the administration is cutting red tape across agencies.  We’re starting new programs and strengthening old ones to get veterans into homes right away.  And over the past few years, these efforts have brought tens of thousands of veterans out of homelessness.  They have helped prevent over 100,000 more [from] falling into homelessness in the first place.  And even in the face of difficult economic times, we have seen the rate of homeless veterans in our country fall by 24 percent under this President.  (Applause.)  So we are making some real progress. 

But we know that government can’t do this alone.  If we’re going to make a difference on this issue, issues like employment and homelessness, we have got to get communities across the country engaged at every level.  That means businesses, government and foundations.  It means nonprofits.  It means our schools, our hospitals.  It means neighbors from down the street. 

And that’s why I am so excited about this conference, why I really want to be here today -- because that’s exactly what you’re doing right here in Los Angeles.  With your 10,000 Strong initiative -- I almost said 100,000.  Sorry, Mayor.  (Laughter.)  Ten thousand is really good.  (Laughter.)  You’ve secured commitments from nearly 150 businesses and public sector organizations to hire 10,000 veterans by 2017. 

And I really, really want to commend you for doing this the right way -- because you’re not just talking about hiring these veterans; you’re talking about retaining them and giving them a chance to grow in the years ahead.  (Applause.)  Yes, you’re  doing it the right way.  (Applause.)  You’re recruiting volunteers to work with veterans on their résumés, holding mock interviews.  You’re focusing on good jobs -- jobs in health care and entertainment, jobs in engineering, finance, and so much more.

So I want to applaud Mayor Garcetti’s office and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles for heading this charge.  And as if hiring 10,000 veterans wasn’t enough, this community is also tackling a problem that this country has tacitly accepted for far too long, and that is homelessness among our veterans. 

So when I heard that this mayor was joining the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness by the end of 2015, I couldn’t have been more excited.  I really couldn’t have been more excited.  Because we can’t end homelessness without all of you.  More than one out of every 10 homeless veterans in America lives right here in Los Angeles, as the mayor said.  And that’s more than any other community in the country -- more than 6,000 veterans in total. 

And I know that’s a big number -- and make no mistake, it is an aggressive goal.  But we’ve seen time and time again that if you break these numbers down, if you work on the ground with landlords to find open apartments, with developers to build new housing; if you rally community groups, and congregations, and businesses around this issue -- then this problem becomes eminently solvable.  

That’s what they realized in Phoenix, Salt Lake City, where they’ve already effectively ended chronic homelessness among their veterans.  And down in New Orleans they’ve committed to end all veteran homelessness in the next six months -- and they are on track to do it today.  And here in LA, the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce have brought public and private partners together for this incredible program called Home for Good.  And together, you have housed more than 9,000 veterans since 2011. 

And on top of that, I want to applaud voters and legislators here in the state for voting to authorize $600 million toward housing for veteran families -- (applause) -- which is the largest state-funded effort in this country.  Well done.

So you’ve already laid much of the groundwork to reach this goal.  And now, as your leader, your mayor said, you just got to finish the job.  And I know that’s not going to be easy, but I also want you to know that you won’t have to do this alone. We will be with you every step of the way –- folks from the White House, the VA, the Interagency Council on Homelessness, we will all be there to support you, to connect you with other leaders across the country who can share their best practices on homelessness or employment.  Because we are all in this together, and we have got to remember that this work isn’t just about paying back the debt we owe these men and women, it’s about investing in their future and the future of this country. 

Take the story of a man I had a chance to meet backstage, Jim Zenner.  I met Jim and his wife and his young son.  Jim served as an Army intelligence analyst during the Iraq War.  And when he first came back home, he was mostly OK.  His father was a Vietnam vet, and Jim could always turn to him when he needed to talk to someone.  But a few months later, Jim’s father died unexpectedly.  And that’s when, as Jim says, “Things, they just kind of fell apart.” 

He became easily irritated, and got into shouting matches with his wife.  And one night, it got so bad that Jim had to move out of the house.  He spent the night sleeping in his car -- and then he asked for help.  He reached out to the VA, and they connected him with Volunteers of America, which used the VA Grant and Per Diem Program to help Jim pay for an apartment for him and his oldest son.   

So for seven months, Jim had a place to call home as he got his life back on track and went to school to get his master’s in social work.  He got the therapy he needed through the VA.  He saved up enough money to eventually buy a place of his own.  And during that time, Volunteers of America was so impressed with Jim that they asked him to open the new Hollywood Veterans Center -- a 48-bed readjustment facility for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.  And in the four years since it opened, the center has given shelter, counseling, and job training to nearly 350 veterans. 

And Jim also keeps paying it forward when he hires for his staff positions.  Jim manages about 12 staffers, and seven of them are post-9/11 veterans.

So because this city was there for Jim, because the VA had those grants, because doctors cared for Jim and helped save his marriage, because an organization on the ground housed him and then hired him -- Jim is able to keep giving back to the country he loves.  That’s all our veterans want to do.  See, that’s what so many of them do -- they keep on serving for the rest of their lives, because that is who they are. 

And now it’s time for us to show who we are.  It’s time to match their service with service of our own.  And that’s especially important now -- because with our war in Iraq over and a war in Afghanistan drawing to a close, thousands of men and women who risked their lives for this country are transitioning back home.  And we cannot make the same mistakes for this generation that we made in the past.  (Applause.)  

So the work we all do together is for all of our veterans.  Whether they served in Vietnam or the Gulf War or Afghanistan or any other time in our history, we want to show them that we don’t leave any veteran behind.  And all we have to do is show just a fraction of the courage and commitment that our veterans have shown to all of us. 

We don’t have to do much -- we don’t have to dodge bullets, we don’t have to jump on grenades.  We just have to keep veterans in mind when we’re hiring for that next open spot.  We just have to make sure they have a place to call home. 

And that’s why all of you are here today -- because you believe like I do that we can do this.  I heard you.  (Laughter.)  And I want you to know that when you reach this goal -- yes, “when,” not “if” -- when -- you will be a model for the entire country.  And I am not exaggerating.  You’ll be starting a movement that can spread across America -- folks in Houston, and Chicago, and New York will want to follow your lead.  Folks in small towns and mid-size cities will think, “Well, if they can house 6,000 veterans in Los Angeles, then surely we can house a couple hundred.  If they can hire 10,000 veterans, then surely our businesses can hire a quarter of that number.” 

That’s the impact you all can have -- an impact that would be felt by millions of veterans across the country, starting here.

So I want to once again thank you -- thank you for everything you’ve done, everything that you will do in the years ahead to serve our veterans as well as they’ve served this country.  This is a great day today.  And I look forward to coming back and celebrating you reaching that goal. 
 
Thank you all.  God bless.  (Applause.)   

END
11:55 A.M. PDT