Remarks by President Obama and President Komorowski of Poland in a Joint Press Conference

Belweder Palace
Warsaw, Poland

12:25 P.M. CET

PRESIDENT KOMOROWSKI:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, it really is a great joy and a great satisfaction for me to be able to host the President of the United States to Poland on the 25th anniversary of regaining freedom by us. 

It is also a great satisfaction and a great hope to host the President of the United States of America in a situation when with concern we are watching the crisis situation developing across the eastern border of Poland and across the eastern border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, across the eastern border of the European Union in Ukraine. 

That is why I am so glad that this meeting, that these talks signify also the reassurances of the security guarantees of this region of Europe.  And they also signify the joint aspiration to strengthen the roles and the significance and the strength of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  I’m also very satisfied to be able to know that actually in all the areas that have been raised during our conversation, we are on the same page fully, and we also have full understanding of our intentions. 

I would like to stress the Polish satisfaction that the President of the United States of America speaks in a very clear voice about the necessity to strengthen the role of the Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.  Poland has been really making efforts to get this.  And here and now, I would like to thank very much for the engagement of the United States in the actions to confirm in practice the declarations on the significance of NATO under the Washington Treaty for the security of Poland and the whole region -- I mean here also other countries that are located along the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

I also wish to stress that it is our common concern that, at the Wales summit, of NATO to reconfirm the need for the greater engagement of NATO in the development of infrastructure that would facilitate the reception of the reinforcement forces in case of threat. 

I also fully appreciate that we are of the same opinion as far as the need of the update and the continuous exercises of the armed forces from the perspective of the contingency plans is concerned.  I also would like to stress that we are also of absolutely the same opinion about the necessity to increase our financial efforts to fund armed forces by the member states of NATO. 

That is why I would like to inform you, ladies and gentlemen, that together with the government -- because this is something that we agreed with the government -- I submitted to President Obama also, the Polish will to make a gesture backed with a very tangible value in terms of increasing the level of our own engagement in the shaping of the defense budget.  It is also about making a gesture to encourage other member states of NATO to follow the same way -- because other countries in the neighborhood of Poland are raising very significantly their defense budgets. 

Poland -- and I will recommend this to the government, I will recommend this to the parliament pretty soon -- Poland intends to increase the defense budget of our armed forces -- Poland is going to increase the funding of the modernization of the Polish armed forces up to the level of 2 percent of the GDP. And it means that is very tangible, very clear engagement at the level that refers to what we talked about in the early 2000s.  And now in the result of economic growth, which is our current situation, and it is going to continue and it means that it is a very serious source of funding of the Polish armed forces as more and more significant complement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization capabilities.

I also would like very much raising important questions like energy security.  I wish to tell you that this conversation is going to be continued.  This conversation is very important for Poland and we are going to continue to talk about it during the meeting of the President, myself, with other Presidents from our region of Central and Eastern Europe.  President Obama, together with me, will be the co-hosts of this meeting.  We will talk about security and we will also talk about other important aspects of the functioning of NATO nations.  Those nations, together with Poland, regained their independence 25 years ago. 

We will talk about our Polish freedom regained then can be strengthened and secured from the potential risks. 

Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Dzien dobry.  Thank you, President Komorowski.  To you and the Polish people, I want to thank you for welcoming me back to Poland today and it is an honor to be here to celebrate 25 years of freedom. 

Mr. President, on my last visit to Warsaw, you said that “dreams come true when, apart from dreams, we have courage and determination.”  And thanks to the courage and determination of you and so many Poles displayed over the decades, the idea of a free and democratic and prosperous Poland is not a dream anymore, it is a reality. 

Obviously the American people have deep connections to Poland.  My hometown of Chicago has especially deep connections to Poland.  And it makes it that much more special for me to be a part of this moment.  And I also want to thank you for welcoming me on the eve of your birthday, so let me say -- Sto lat!

I’ve come here, first and foremost, to reaffirm the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of Poland.  As NATO allies, we have an Article 5 duty to our collective defense. As President, I’ve made sure that the United States is upholding that commitment.  We’re on track with our missile defense program, including interceptor sites here in Poland.  As we saw this morning, our American aviation detachment here is the first regular presence of U.S. forces in Poland.  We continuously rotate additional personnel and aircrafts into Poland and the Baltics.  And I want to commend Poland for its contributions to the NATO air patrols over the Baltics. 

Today, I’m announcing a new initiative to bolster the security of our NATO allies here in Europe.  Under this effort, and with the support of Congress, the United States will pre-position more equipment in Europe.  We will be expanding our exercises and training with allies to increase the readiness of our forces.  And I know President Komorowski is a great champion of the effort to modernize the Polish military and we welcome the announcement that he just made about an even greater commitment.

We’ll increase the number of American personnel -- Army and Air Force units -- continuously rotating through allied countries in Central and Eastern Europe.  And we will be stepping up our partnerships with friends like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia as they provide for their own defense.  I’m calling on Congress to approve up to $1 billion to support this effort, which will be a powerful demonstration of America’s unshakeable commitment to our NATO allies. 

Poland, to its credit, is a leader in the alliance when it comes to investing in our collective defense.  We've seen that again today.  Poland’s resolve -- and the initiative I’m proposing today -- is a reminder that every ally needs to carry their share and truly invest in the capabilities of the alliance that are needed for the future.

Of course, President Komorowski and I focused mostly on the situation in Ukraine.  And perhaps because Poles know better than most how precious freedom truly is, Poland and your President have displayed outstanding leadership in recent months. 

We agree that further Russian provocation will be met with further costs for Russia, including, if necessary, additional sanctions.  Russia has a responsibility to engage constructively with the Ukrainian government in Kyiv, to prevent the flow of militants and weapons into eastern Ukraine.  Russia also needs to be using its influence with armed separatists to convince them to stop attacking Ukrainian security forces, leave buildings that they’ve seized, lay down their arms and enter into the political process. 

Meanwhile, the United States and Poland will continue to support Ukrainians as they embark on political and economic reforms.  We’re prepared to help facilitate a dialogue between the Ukrainian government and representatives of separatist regions.  And I look forward to discussing all this with President-elect Poroshenko tomorrow.

Finally, President Komorowski and I discussed a range of issues critical to our shared prosperity, including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which would boost trade between the United States and Europe, including facilitating potential energy exports from the United States into Europe.  We agreed that there are more steps that can be taken to diversify Europe’s energy sources.  That's important not only for Europe’s economy, but also for its security.  And that's a topic that I'll focus on later today when we meet with other Central and Eastern European Presidents.

So, thank you, Mr. President, again for your partnership and your hospitality.  I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to join tomorrow’s celebration in Castle Square and a chance to address the Polish people.  Dziekuje.

Q    The question for both Presidents -- how will the situation in Ukraine influence the change of the relation between NATO and Russia?  And what assurance will President-elect Poroshenko hear from both of you?  Both of you are going to talk with him.

PRESIDENT KOMOROWSKI:  (As interpreted.)  First of all, I would like to thank very much for the birthday wishes.  It undoubtedly is thanks to my mom and not myself.  But I want to thank you very much for that. 

One thing is certain -- that it is -- the merit of the whole nation of Poland is Polish freedom, Polish freedom that was regained on the 4th of June, 1989.

Answering your question about NATO-Russia relations, I can tell you that the Western world -- including Poland, and I’m sure it goes for all other countries of NATO -- everyone is very much interested in developing as good relations with Russia as possible, and as good cooperation as possible.  Poland is also very much interested in the continuation of this uneasy process of the reconciliation beyond difficult history and painful history and bloody history.

However, to make sure that this cooperation, this reconciliation could really function also between NATO and Russia, it is absolutely necessary today, though, for Russia to totally give up the application of violence in conduct with its neighbors.  It is also necessary for Russia to give up similar intentions towards other countries that are in the neighborhood of Russia, including those countries that aren’t members of the alliance.

That is why what we would like to see is the full reconfirmation of the will to cooperate with Ukraine -- free and independent Ukraine.  What we expect is the reconfirmation of acceptance or full understanding of the result of the presidential elections in Ukraine.  And we also are looking forward to the talks about developing good relations between Russia and Ukraine.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I thoroughly agree with your President about the importance of maintaining good relations with Russia, but not sacrificing principle in pursuit of good relations. 

The fact of the matter is, is that Russia is a significant country with incredibly gifted people, resources, an enormous land mass, and they rightfully play an important role on the world stage and in the region.  But what we have learned from our history -- and nobody understands that better than the Poles -- is that basic principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty and freedom, the ability for people to make their own determinations about their country’s future is the cornerstone of the peace and security that we’ve seen in Europe over the last several decades.  And that is threatened by Russian actions in Crimea, and now Russian activity in eastern Ukraine.

So we have said consistently that not only do we seek good relations with Russia, but we expect Ukraine to have strong relations with Russia.  We don’t believe that Ukraine has to choose between good relations with Europe and good relations with Russia.  We do think that Ukrainians should make their own decisions about the future of their country without meddling, interference, or armed militias being financed from the outside trying to disrupt the effort of Ukrainians to reform themselves, to strengthen their democracy, and to improve their economy.

And, as a consequence, we will continue to support Ukrainian efforts.  The fact that there has been an election on May 25th and we have now a President-elect I think gives us some momentum to build on as we move forward.  The President-elect of Ukraine has indicated his willingness to work with all regions of Ukraine to create a constitutional order that is representative of all people.  And he has said that he is interested in pursuing good relations with Russia.  But what he has said, and he is right to say, is that the sovereignty of Ukraine should not be sacrificed in that effort, and we fully support him in that.

And NATO’s relationship with Russia I think will be one in which, if Russia is observing basic international law and principles, there should be cooperation between Russia and NATO; where Russia violates international law and international principle, NATO will stand firm in asserting those principles.

Q    Thank you.  I wanted to ask you if you have learned more about the circumstances of Sergeant Bergdahl’s capture, and whether he could be facing punishment given that the Pentagon has concluded that he left his unit?  Also, could you respond to congressional Republicans who say that you violated the law by not notifying them 30 days in advance and that the release or the transfer of the Taliban prisoners could put Americans at risk?  Did your willingness to go around that 30-day requirement signal a new urgency to close Guantanamo now that you’re ending combat operations in Afghanistan?

And also, President Komorowski, can you say whether the steps that President Obama outlined today to increase the U.S. military presence here in Europe are enough to mitigate whatever threat you see coming from Russia, or do you want more from the United States?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  The United States has always had a pretty sacred rule, and that is we don’t leave our men or women in uniform behind.  And that dates back to the earliest days of our revolution. 

We have consulted with Congress for quite some time about the possibility that we might need to execute a prisoner exchange in order to recover Sergeant Bergdahl.  We saw an opportunity.  We were concerned about Sergeatn Bergdahl’s health.  We had the cooperation of the Qataris to execute an exchange, and we seized that opportunity.  And the process was truncated because we wanted to make sure that we did not miss that window.

With respect to the circumstances of Sergeant Bergdahl’s capture by the Taliban, we obviously have not been interrogating Sergeant Bergdahl.  He is recovering from five years of captivity with the Taliban.  He’s having to undergo a whole battery of tests, and he is going to have to undergo a significant transition back into life.  He has not even met with his family yet, which indicates I think the degree to which we take this transition process seriously -- something that we learned from the Vietnam era.

But let me just make a very simple point here, and that is, regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an American soldier back if he’s held in captivity.  Period.  Full stop.  We don’t condition that. And that’s what every mom and dad who sees a son or daughter sent over into war theater should expect from not just their Commander-in-Chief but the United States of America.

In terms of potential threats, the release of the Taliban who were being held in Guantanamo was conditioned on the Qataris keeping eyes on them and creating a structure in which we can monitor their activities.  We will be keeping eyes on them.  Is there the possibility of some of them trying to return to activities that are detrimental to us?  Absolutely.  That’s been true of all the prisoners that were released from Guantanamo.  There’s a certain recidivism rate that takes place.  I wouldn’t be doing it if I thought that it was contrary to American national security.  And we have confidence that we will be in a position to go after them if, in fact, they are engaging in activities that threaten our defenses.

But this is what happens at the end of wars.  That was true for George Washington; that was true for Abraham Lincoln; that was true for FDR; that’s been true of every combat situation -- that at some point, you make sure that you try to get your folks back.  And that’s the right thing to do.

Q    Could Sergeant Bergdahl face -- (inaudible.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That’s not something that we’re discussing at this point because our main priority is making sure that the transition that he’s undergoing after five years of captivity is successful.

PRESIDENT KOMOROWSKI:  (As interpreted.)  I would like to answer your question.  Certainly, for us, the decisions of the American authorities to increase its presence in the Eastern countries of NATO are very important.  We welcome them with great hope.  And we welcome these decisions as an announcement of a true return of NATO to focusing very strongly on questions that are connected at the foundations of the alliance, which is Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that refers to the collective defense -- the defense on the basis of solidarity of the territories, the homelands of the member states. 

We are absolutely convinced that this is a good response and it is important for the whole region, not only for Poland.  It is an important response that will be analyzed and evaluated as a very important element of discouragement for Russia to continue the policy of pressure and aggression against the neighbors that are located to the east of our borders.

However, I am absolutely convinced that another element that is so important that also supplements the will that is expressed by President Obama to increase the presence of the American armed forces in Eastern Europe will be the engagement of NATO in the development of additional NATO infrastructure that is a prerequisite for the possible effective reception of the reinforcement forces.  These two elements in my opinion create a situation of full reconfirmation -- reaffirmation of the security of our region.  And for this I would like to thank you.

Q    A question of both Presidents.  Referring to what has been raised a moment ago, this European reassurance initiative, it doesn’t do away with the division into old and new members of the alliance.  It doesn’t mean that the deployment of ground troops of the United States, and Poland and other countries like the Baltic States counted on this very much.  So what kind of American troops can we expect in Poland, specifically, within the next month or year?  Is it going to be some complement of ground troops?  And if so, when are they going to come?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  First of all, when you discuss old and new NATO members, I recall my first NATO meeting back in 2009, and I made very clear at that first meeting my belief that there’s no such thing as new members of NATO and old members of NATO -- there are just members of NATO.  And because that was my strong view then and continues to be my strong view now, I immediately pushed to make sure that we were putting in place contingency plans for every NATO member.  And those contingency plans have been steadily developed over the last several years.

And part of what I think your President just indicated is very important is that our contingency plans are not just pieces of paper on a shelf, but we have the capacity to operationalize it.  That means that there has to be resources pre-positioned;  there has to be training; there have to be joint exercises.  We have been conducting those, but there’s no doubt that what has happened in Ukraine adds a sense of urgency when we meet in Wales in the next NATO summit. 

And part of what I discussed with Secretary General of NATO Rasmussen and now with the new Secretary General Stoltenberg is the need to make sure that the collective defense effort is robust, it is ready, it is properly equipped. 

That does mean that every NATO member has to do its fair share.  Obviously, we all have different capacities.  The United States is going to have different capacities than Poland; Poland is going to have a different capacity than Latvia.  But everyone has the capacity to do their fair share, to do a proportional amount to make sure that we have the resources, the planning, the integration, the training in order to be effective.

Some of that has to do with where our personnel is positioned.  And obviously, as I indicated before, my administration has put U.S. soldiers on Polish soil for the first time.  This new initiative that I’m putting forward gives us the option, the capacity, to add to those rotations. 

But I think it’s important to recognize that the effectiveness of our defenses against any threat is not just going to be dependent on how many troops we have in any particular country -- it has to do with how we are working collectively together to make sure that when any NATO member is threatened, all of us can respond rapidly -- whether it’s through air, sea, or land. 

And that’s going to require some flexibility. It’s going to require some additional planning.  It’s going to require some joint capabilities that right now we don’t have.  But frankly, NATO is very reliant on U.S. capabilities but has not always invested in some joint capabilities that would be important as well.  And it’s going to require every NATO member to step up.  We have seen a decline steadily in European defense spending generally.  There are exceptions -- like Poland, like Estonia -- but for the most part, we have seen a steady decline.  That has to change.

The United States is proud to bear its share of the defense of the Transatlantic Alliance.  It is the cornerstone of our security.  But we can’t do it alone.  And we’re going to need to make sure that everybody who is a member of NATO has full membership.  They expect full membership when it comes to their defense; then that means that they’ve also got to make a contribution that is commensurate with full membership.

PRESIDENT KOMOROWSKI:  (As interpreted.)  For Poland, what is really fundamental is to make sure that nobody from outside of NATO claims the right to determine what NATO member states may do and what they may not do.  And it also concerns the question of the presence of NATO troops and NATO infrastructure in the Polish territory. 

What is most important for us is to make sure that there are no second-category member states of NATO, that there are no countries about whom an external country, a third country like Russia can say whether or not American or other allied troops can be deployed to these countries.  That is why the decision of the United States of America to deploy American troops to Poland is really very important for us, both as an element of deterrence, but also as a reconfirmation that we do not really accept any limitations concerning the deployment of NATO troops to Poland imposed for some time or suggested for some time by a country that is not a member of NATO. 

Another thing is the inadequacy of response for the existing situation, the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian behavior about Crimea, for example -- first, the necessary response to it.  And this response is both the real presence of American troops, reinforced aviation detachment and then the ground troops that that would complement, as well as the declaration of President Obama to increase this presence even more.  I would like to remind you that Poland is also making a contribution in the reconfirmation of an equal right of every member state to decide whether or not they are going to receive NATO troops in their territories.

Poland is participating in the air policing mission that is a mission to provide security for the air space over the Baltic States.  We do this together with other allies from NATO and we don’t ask anybody for acceptance except for what is agreed within NATO internally.  The same goes for Poland’s participation in the Afghan operation in ISAF.  It was the reconfirmation of full solidarity and full core responsibility for the decisions which are made not only for the military effort but also for political decisions.  Poland has been and shall continue to be a spokescountry for the solidarity within NATO.  And this can be manifested also in the denial of the right of anyone from outside of NATO to decide whether we can do something or we cannot do it.

Q    Mr. President, now that Ukraine has successfully elected its new President, can you talk to us about how much military assistance you are prepared to give Ukraine, either as part of this package or more broadly?  And you spoke about the importance of not sacrificing principle in pursuit of good relations with Mr. Putin.  You know Prime Minister Cameron and President Hollande will meet individually with Mr. Putin during this visit in France.  Would you consider doing the same under some circumstances, or do you think it's premature?  And I think we're just interested in getting inside your mind.  You’ll see him at this lunch, at least probably shake hands.  What do you want to say to him if you could?

If I may, also, President Komorowski, 25 years after the Solidarity election victory, are you concerned that Poland and the region are still vulnerable to a return to Russian dominance? And do you believe that President Putin actually wants to reconstitute the Soviet Union?  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, I'm looking forward to the chance to talk to the President-elect of Ukraine tomorrow.  I want to hear from him what he thinks would be most helpful.  My suspicion, based on the discussions that we've had intensively with Ukrainian officials over the last several months, is they’re very interested in making sure that economic support is in place. They’re very concerned about making sure that energy is in place as winter comes up. 

The IMF package and the international assistance, including ours, that has been forthcoming is going to be critical I think in these early months of the new government’s efforts to solidify its position and also to reach out to skeptics and say there’s the prospect for a better life.  But that has to translate into concrete action.  And so we're going to spend a lot of time on the economics of Ukraine. 

With respect to the defense of Ukraine, we have had a partnership with the Ukrainian military for quite some time.  We have strong relations.  The Ukrainian officers have been trained in the United States.  During this crisis we have provided them nonlethal assistance that's been critical for them. 

Part of what’s going to be interesting to hear is the strategy to deal with eastern Ukraine in a way that is careful about civilian casualties but recognizes that we can't have a bunch of masked thugs creating chaos in a big chunk of your country, and that there has to be some mechanism to return law and order to many of these areas.  And this is where Russian influence can be extraordinarily important.

Now, in terms of my relationship with Mr. Putin, I always had a businesslike relationship with Mr. Putin.  Throughout this crisis, I have talked to Mr. Putin by phone.  I’ve been very clear with him privately about the same principles that I lay out publicly:  We are interested in good relations with Russia; we are not interested in threatening Russia.  We recognize that Russia has legitimate interests in what happens along its borders and has a long historic relationship with Ukraine.  But we also believe that the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty have to be respected, that Russia has violated them; that we are going to maintain sanctions that are directed at the annexation of Crimea and that we have prepared economic costs on Russia that can escalate if, in fact, we continue to see Russia actively destabilizing one of its neighbors in the way that we’ve seen of late.

And Mr. Putin has a choice to make.  He can make a decision, that, having now begun to pull back his troops directly on the border, he also exerts his influence to get these separatist elements to stand down.  He can meet with the President-elect of Ukraine, recognize that that was a legitimate election, and help to facilitate the kind of dialogue along the Ukraine-Russian border that can calm the situation down and encourage people to participate in legitimate political process. 

That’s what I will tell him if I see him publicly.  That’s what I have told him privately.  I would expect and hope that David Cameron and Franois Hollande would emphasize those same points to him when they meet with him.  And if, in fact, we can see some responsible behavior by the Russians over the next several months, then I think it is possible for us to try to rebuild some of the trust that’s been shattered during this past year. 

But I think it is fair to say that rebuilding that trust will take quite some time.  And in the meantime we are going to be prepared for any contingencies that may come up if, in fact, Mr. Putin continues to pursue strategies that destabilize its neighbors.  Whether it’s Ukraine, or any NATO member, or Moldova or others, we want to make sure that we stand with the people of countries that are simply seeking to choose their own destiny. 

And I’ve said in the past and I will repeat again:  I do not believe in spheres of influence.  There are times where we have governments in the Western Hemisphere that are not particularly friendly to us and we may make very clear that we don’t like their policies, but under my administration we don’t go around and try to overthrow those governments, or to finance or supply armed efforts to undermine those governments.  That’s not what we do -- partly because we have enough confidence that we’ve got the better argument and ultimately governments that pursue oppressive policies, corrupt policies -- that over time those governments will fail because that’s not the kind of government that’s going to meet the aspirations of people.

Q    And will you meet with President Putin on this trip --

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I’m sure I’ll see him.  He’s going to be there.  I think it’s important for us to acknowledge the role that Russia played during World War II, and that’s part of what Normandy is about.

All right?  Okay.

PRESIDENT KOMOROWSKI:  (As interpreted.)  Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is difficult not to notice that something has changed to the east of the borders of NATO; that, again, we are heading toward the aggression with the use of armed forces against one’s neighbor.  A few years ago it was Georgia; now it is Ukraine, with a special focus on Crimea.

President Putin didn’t hide -- he didn’t hide that these were elements of the Russian armed forces, and this is something that we have to acknowledge -- just the same way Russia never hid that for the last four years it has increased its defense budget twofold.  We, ourselves, have to ask the question, why?  For what purpose?  And what does it have to mean for member states of NATO? 

All of us are interested in Russia to get modernized so that it is possible to do not only good business modernizing Russia, but also develop relations of good neighborhood and cooperation in many dimensions, in many areas.  But today we have to answer this situation that has come up by supporting independence of Ukraine and it tried to choose a pro-Western direction.  We have to support the modernization of Ukraine, too. 

I am convinced that this is the right way to develop the mechanism and the source of a very good and suggestive example for the Russian society, just as a great example for them was the development of democracy in Poland -- free market, prosperity, security, safety.  It acted very well on Ukraine, and I am convinced that it was simply an element of the Ukrainian dream to follow along the same way, in the direction of the same values. 

I am also convinced that the success of Ukraine, its democratic and independent nature, combined with overcoming the economic crisis and political crisis on the ground, combined with deep modernization of the Ukrainian society and state, will have a huge influence on the shaping of the attitudes of people within the Russian society.  That is difficult not to notice today that the Russian public opinion has fully supported the aggressive behavior of President Putin in Crimea.  The point is that public opinion in Russia could stand on the side of the prospects for the modernization of Russia, and not at the reconstitution of any zone of influence and any dreams of empire.

Ladies and gentlemen, this press conference is over.  Thank you very much.

END
1:10 P.M. CET

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Tusk of Poland

Chancellery of the Prime Minister
Warsaw, Poland

2:25 P.M. CET

PRIME MINISTER TUSK:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President, I’m very happy that again here in Warsaw we had the opportunity to talk about Polish-American relations.  And with great satisfaction, I observed that so much has changed around us, but our relations and the nature of our relations remain the same -- it remains so very good and of such fundamental significance as it was in the past when we spoke for the first time.

It was no coincidence in the fact that we began our meeting with my thanks to the very speedy and also very effective reaction of the United States to the Ukrainian crisis.  And we’re talking about the American reaction to the very situation in the region, but also in terms of support for Poland, which is both political -- and we do remember that on this key day, when Crimea was subject to annexation, we remember the visit of Vice President Biden here to Warsaw, but we also highly appreciate your practical decisions about the support given to the Polish defense capabilities.  And for that we’re truly thankful, because that’s not always so frequent in contemporary times.

We’ve exchanged information of our strategic cooperation.  I informed Mr. President about our readiness and something that President Komorowski has also mentioned about our readiness to strengthen the Polish defense capabilities.  We will also try to convince our European allies -- also at the meeting at the NATO Summit in Wales – we’ll try to convince them to a common European effort for a common European defense and solidarity.

It was with great satisfaction that we welcome the announcement of Mr. President about the readiness to increase the engagement and the plus-billion dollars dedicated to this part of the world.  It was also with satisfaction that I heard from Mr. President this is just another step and that this is not the end, and that in terms of the strategic perspective we will continue to talk about the evermore intense cooperation and presence in this part of Europe -- the presence of NATO in this part of Europe.

Our relations really, really do not require any repair, so we really did not have the need to talk about Polish-American relations.  But our opinions about Ukraine and the situation in the entire region, and also in terms of energy cooperation, these opinions are in line.  I’ve informed Mr. President about our Polish mission of the European energy union so as to increase the independence of Europe in terms of a single energy supply point.  And I think that is also a domain where we see possibilities of practical cooperation.  And I’m very happy that Mr. President has also declared his personal engagement so as to increase this possibility of energy diversification in Europe.

Again, thank you very much, Mr. President.  I did say at the beginning that a friend in need is a friend indeed.  And I reiterate I’m sure that the experiences of recent months and also our talks here on the symbolic date of our 25th anniversary of freedom, these talks were not just symbolic and were not referring to the history.  And I think that this is the most important thing in our relations -- that we appreciate the same values and we like the same symbols, but at the same time we both want to go in the similar direction.  And the United States is the best partner we could ever imagine.

Thank you so very much, Mr. President. 

And now, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Dzień dobry.  I want to thank you, Prime Minister Tusk, for your warm welcome.  It’s good to be back in this hall.  I’ve said a lot today already about why we think Poland is so important, why the alliance between the United States and Poland is so important, but perhaps during my remarks here I can say a little bit about why the economic progress that we’ve seen in Poland is so important.  Economic growth wasn’t inevitable just because Poland achieved its political freedom.  It wasn’t easy.  Reforms here in Poland have been hard and have not been without sacrifice.  But as you drive through Warsaw, you see that Poland is a country on the move, one with one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in Europe, a manufacturing powerhouse, and a hub of high-tech innovation. 

In fact, the last time I was here, Donald gave me a gift -- the video game developed here in Poland that’s won fans the world over, “The Witcher.”  I confess, I’m not very good at video games, but I’ve been told that it is a great example of Poland’s place in the new global economy and it’s a tribute to the talents and the work ethic of the Polish people, as well as the wise stewardship of Polish leaders, like Prime Minister Tusk.

As I did with President Komorowski, I reiterated to the Prime Minister our rock-solid commitment to Poland’s security, outlined for him the announcement I made earlier today about bolstering security to our NATO allies in Eastern Europe, and made clear that the United States is ready to deepen our defense cooperation as Poland modernizes its military.

As the Prime Minister indicated, we spent a lot of time on Ukraine.  Mr. Prime Minister, you’ve been a strong voice in conveying Poland’s solidarity to the Ukrainian people.  And Poland has been a great partner to Ukrainian civil society groups, and Polish diplomacy has played a critical role earlier this year in preventing even more violence. 

Poland is joining us in providing Ukraine with critical economic assistance.  And my conversation with the Prime Minister illustrated again that our countries are absolutely united in the need to stand with the Ukrainian people as they move forward, and that is not just with respect to their territorial integrity and security, but also with respect to the kinds of economic reforms that are going to be needed. 

As Ukrainians undertake the hard work of political and economic reform, Poland is going to have an important role to play in sharing the lessons of its own success, as Poland has with other countries in Eastern Europe and Central Europe and around the world. 

And one of the areas we discussed was energy.  Obviously, this has created significant vulnerabilities throughout Europe, particularly Eastern and Central Europe.  And we highlighted the need for greater energy security in Europe, which Prime Minister Tusk has championed, but we also agreed that it’s going to be critical for Ukraine to embark on effective efforts to reform its energy sector and diversify its supply of natural gas.  Just to give one example, Ukraine’s economy requires about three times as much energy to produce the same amount of output as Poland’s does.  And it’s very hard for Ukraine then to be competitive and to be successful if, in fact, it is that inefficient when it comes to energy.  So these are areas where I think we can make great progress.  Donald’s ideas on how Europe can reduce its energy risks by diversifying, investing in renewables, and upgrading energy infrastructure are ones that I think are important for everybody to listen to.

Poland is, for example, making an important investment that will allow the world’s liquefied natural gas, LNG, to travel to Europe.  For our part, the United States has already approved licenses for natural gas exports, which will increase global supplies and thereby benefit partners here in Europe.  I also mentioned to the Prime Minister the importance of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, T-TIP, the trade agreement that we are negotiating currently between the United States and Europe.

Poland has been a supporter of an ambitious T-TIP agreement.  And I indicated to him one of the benefits of a strong trade agreement is that it is much easier for me to approve natural gas exports to countries with which we already have a free trade agreement. 

So, last point -- we discussed in the context of energy the issue of climate change.  The United States just took major steps to propose new standards that would result in significant reductions in carbon emissions from our power plants.  This has to be a global effort.  Poland hosted a successful U.N. climate summit conference last year.  As we work to shape a strong global climate agreement this year -- or next year, rather -- it’s important for the United States and the EU to set an example by committing to ambitious goals to reduce emissions beyond 2020.  And if we’re thinking seriously about energy diversification, energy efficiency, we can combine those two efforts in ways that make us not only more politically secure and economically secure but also more environmentally secure. 
                                            
So let me just thank once again Prime Minister Tusk for his outstanding leadership, and let me thank the Polish people for their outstanding example.  I’m confident that the friendship that we’ve established over the years will only be strengthened.   And although it’s wonderful to have friends when things are going good, the Prime Minister is absolutely right that it’s especially important to have friends when things are tough.  And we don’t have a better friend anywhere in the world than Poland.  So we’re grateful for that.

Thank you.

END               
2:32 P.M. CET

Remarks by the First Lady at a DCCC Event

Intercontinental Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts

4:29 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Woo hoo!  (Applause.)  Are we fired up, ladies and a few gentlemen?  (Applause.)  Yes!  Yes!  Thank you all.  Thank you so much.  All right.  I want you to rest yourselves, because we have a lot of work to do.  I don’t want you to expend too much energy here because I want you out there winning.  (Laughter.) 

Let me start by just saying it is a pleasure and an honor to be here.  I want to start by thanking Representative Clark for that very wonderful introduction and for all the work that she has done to make this possible.  Mom, you should be proud.  (Laughter.)  I’m just adding to the good things that I’m saying about your daughter.  You can include the First Lady -- I think she’s terrific.  (Laughter.) 

And I also want to recognize our fabulous leader, Leader Nancy Pelosi, for her outstanding leadership every day in Congress.  (Applause.)  I’m going to embarrass you because, you know, I love Nancy Pelosi.  Barack Obama loves Nancy Pelosi.  (Laughter.)  It’s just amazing to watch her in action.  She is tireless.  She is fearless.  She is so deeply passionate about making a difference in the lives of families across this country. 

We are in awe when we watch her in action, and we couldn’t be more grateful for everything she has done not just for us -- she has become a friend, her family has become our family.  Paul is like my second husband.  (Laughter.)  So we are truly grateful for everything that you have accomplished, and we love you dearly.  So thank you so much.  (Applause.) 

I also want to thank Congressman Israel for his terrific leadership of the DCCC.  Where are you?  Where did you go?  Where is he?  (Laughter.)  He’s around here somewhere.  But he’s doing a great job.  I want to give a huge shout-out to -- yay.  (Applause.)  You know, the few men that are here, you’re lucky we let you stay.  (Laughter.) 

I want to give a huge, huge shout-out to all of the fantastic members of Congress who are here, many of whom are in the midst of their bus tour and have stopped here today to join us.  And I want to just congratulate them on the work that they’ve done, for always having my back, for working so hard.  So, you guys, get it done.  Keep getting it done.  (Applause.) 

And I got to meet for the first time your terrific new mayor -- Mayor Walsh was here, as well, so I’m so glad that he could be here.  And I’m just grateful for his willingness to step up and lead this great city.

And of course, most of all, I want to thank all of you.  As I look around the room, I see so many old friends who here today, folks who have been with us from the very beginning -- do you remember the beginning?  (Laughter.)  Back when we were pounding the pavement in Iowa and New Hampshire -- Carol, Ann, you guys remember my children in and out of the state -- talking about hope and change.  And then there were those of you -- joined us after the primaries, and you were there when Barack and I first took office -- or I took office alongside -- or he took office and I was there -- (laughter) -- and both of us were wondering what on Earth we had gotten ourselves into.  Remember that?  (Laughter.) 

But do you remember what was going on in the country at that time?  Remember where things were back then when our economy was on the brink of collapse -- do you remember that?  Wall Street banks were folding.  Our auto industry was imploding.  Our businesses were losing 800,000 jobs a month.  Newspapers were using words like “meltdown” and calamity,” and saying that we were headed for another Great Depression.  Do you remember that? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  And that was just here at home.  Abroad, we were fighting not one but two wars.  And the man behind 9/11 was still on the loose -- do you remember that?  Well, this is what Barack walked into on day one as President -- day one. 

But today, just five years later, now that we’ve had 50 straight months of job growth -- (applause) -- now that this administration has created 9.2 million private sector jobs, and our auto industry has come roaring back -- now that we’re here, it’s easy to forget where we started.  But just think about all that we’ve achieved together in just five short years.

Think about all that we’ve achieved together.  We’ve cut our deficit by more than half.  We’re producing more clean energy than ever before.  We’ve raised high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates to new heights.  We brought Osama bin Laden to justice.  We’re bringing our brave men and women in uniform home.  And after a century of talk -- a century of talk -- and decades of trying to pass health reform, today, millions of American families have health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.  That is saving lives. 

And think about all of the intangible changes going on, how different our country looks to children growing up today.  Think about how kids today take for granted that there are three brilliant women serving on our Supreme Court.  They take it for granted that a black person can be President of the United States –- and, yes, even a woman.  They don’t even notice it now.

They take for granted that their President will end hurtful policies like “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and will speak out for gay marriage because, as Barack said in his inauguration speech, “If we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”  (Applause.)

So today, when folks ask me whether I still believe everything we said about hope and change back in 2008, I tell them that I believe it more strongly now than ever before because I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  While we still have plenty of work to do, we have actually made so much of that change we were talking about. 

But here’s the thing I want you to remember:  Barack didn’t do all of this just by sitting alone in the Oval Office.  Remember the Recovery Act that helped rescue our economy?  Remember the legislation that helped save the auto industry, the Affordable Care Act that gave all those folks insurance?  Well, those bills were all passed by a Democratic Congress under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi back in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  (Applause.)  That’s how all that stuff got done.  And it is so easy to lose sight of that reality. 

Too often, we forget what we learned in civics class back in middle school, about how we have a separation of powers between three branches of government.  I cannot tell you how many people have asked me things like, well, just tell Barack to pass health care, just tell him to do it; why can’t he just get immigration reform done; why hasn’t he just fixed infrastructure yet; when is he going to just raise the minimum wage, he should just do it.  I get these questions.  (Laughter.)  And I have to tell them, well, infrastructure -- that’s a budget issue; immigration and wages are legislative issues -- and you all know who has the final say on all of that, don’t you?  Who?  Congress.  You guys remember civics.  It’s Congress.   

So the truth is, if we want to keep making that change we all believe in, then we need a President who will fight for that change, but we also need a Congress who will pass it. 

So make no mistake about it, Barack’s last campaign was not in 2012.  Barack’s last campaign is this year, 2014, because that election in 2012 -- (applause) -- that election wasn’t the change we sought, it was the only -- it was only the chance for us to make that change. 

And frankly, if we lose these midterm elections, it’s going to be a whole lot harder to finish what we’ve started together.  Because we will see more of the same out in Washington –- more obstruction, more re-investigations, more votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  And, look, I have to give them credit for their persistence on that one.  (Laughter.)  While they won’t let equal pay or the minimum wage come up for a vote, they voted to repeal Obamacare 50 times, and they even shut the entire federal government down.  Anybody remember that? 

In fact, it’s gotten so bad, as Katherine mentioned, they’re even trying to block the work that I do on childhood obesity -- and that’s really saying something.  I mean, for most folks in this country, making sure our kids get decent nutrition isn’t all that controversial.  And that’s why, back in 2010, we passed legislation to ensure that our school lunches meet modern nutrition standards -- standards set by experts, based on sound science.  Because I think we can all agree that when parents are working hard to serve balanced meals at home, they have a right to expect that their kids will get decent food in our schools.  And we all have a right to expect that our hard-earned taxpayer dollars won’t be spent on junk food for our kids.

But believe it or not, some folks in Congress are actually working to repeal these standards.  And that’s simply not acceptable.  It is not.  As parents, there is nothing we wouldn’t do for our kids -- nothing.  We always put our kids’ interests first -- always.  We wake up every morning, go to bed every night thinking and worrying about their health and their happiness and their futures. 

So we deserve a Congress that will do the same, I believe, don’t we?  We deserve a Congress that believes, like we do, that no matter how our kids start out in life, if they’re willing to work for it, they should have every opportunity to fulfill their boundless promise.  They should have every opportunity to get a good education, build a decent life for themselves and an even better life for their kids.  And that’s the American Dream we all believe in.  That’s what we’re working for.  And that’s what these midterm elections are all about. 

And here’s the thing:  We know that we can win these elections.  We can do this.  Right now, we are just 17 seats -- 17 -- that’s a doable number -- 17 seats away from taking back the House.  Seventeen.  (Applause.)  And, more importantly, we have all the votes we need right now to take back those seats and more if we get to the polls in November.

Just look at the numbers.  For example, in the first district in New Hampshire, if just 62 percent of the folks who voted for Barack back in 2012 show up in November and vote for Carol Shea-Porter, she will win.  Sixty-two percent of our voters have to show up -- Carol wins.  In the second district, if just 57 percent of those Obama voters get out and vote for Annie McLane Kuster, she will win, too.  In the sixth district, right here in Massachusetts, if just 60 percent of Obama voters make it to the polls, John Tierney will win.  Do you hear me?  It’s on us.  (Applause.)  All of us this is on us. 

And, yes, there’s too much money in politics.  Yes, special interests have too much influence.  But they had all that money and influence back in 2008 and 2012, and we still won those elections.  And you want to know why?  Because we showed up and we voted.

And at the end of the day, the folks running those special interest groups, they each have just one vote.  The folks who poured millions of dollars into the 2012 election –- they each have just one vote, too.  And so do each of us.  And ultimately, the only thing that counts are those votes.  That’s what decides elections in the United States of America. 

But the fact is that during the midterms, this is what happens -- a lot of our folks, we don’t show up.  Women, minorities, young people -- we don’t show up in the midterms.  And these are folks who agree with us.  They support our policies and ideas, so we don’t have to change any hearts and minds, we don’t have to spend hours persuading folks that we have the best plan.  We just need to get these folks out to vote.  And we need to call them and remind them that the midterms are coming, and then we need to give them a ride to the polls on Election Day to make sure they get there. 

This is about work on the ground.  It is doable.  We need to convince them to be as passionate and as hungry as they were back in 2008 and 2012.  In fact, we should tell them to be even more passionate and more hungry, because these midterm races will be even harder and even closer than those presidential elections.  We are talking about races that will be won or lost by just a few thousand or even a few hundred votes.

So we can’t just sit back and hope for the best, and then be surprised when things don’t work out.  We need to be engaged right from the very beginning.  And that’s where all of you come in.  That’s why I’m here.  (Laughter.)  Happy to be in Boston.  Great to see you.  But I’m here because we need you. 

And there’s something that all of you can do right now, today, to make a difference -- and I say this everywhere I go, because it matters -- you can write a big, fat check.  (Laughter.)  That’s what we need you to do right now.  We need you to write the biggest, fattest check you can possibly write.  I am so serious. 

And I know that some of you might occasionally feel a little bit annoyed that we’re always hitting you up for money -- especially the folks in this room, because I know a bunch of people are about to do a fundraiser for Barack two days from now or something like that.  But that’s okay.  You can be annoyed.  You can admit it -- we annoy you. 

But we do this because writing those checks is the single most impactful thing that you can do right now.  Because it is simply not enough for us to have the best candidates if they don’t have the resources they need to win elections.  It’s not enough to have the best values and ideas if we never get to make them into laws and policies.  We can’t just stake out the moral high ground and feel good about ourselves.  We need to act.

Because when you dig deep and we all dig deep, when you max out, that translates into staff hired and offices opened.  It translates into calls made, and doors knocked on, and ads running where they need to run.  And we can’t wait until September or October to get going, because these candidates need these resources today.

And then once you’ve given what you can, then we need you to get out there and volunteer.  Because we know that those person-to-person contacts, those calls made and doors knocked on, all of that can mean the difference between victory and defeat.  So we need your manpower.  We need you to roll up your sleeves.  Because the stakes this year simply could not be higher.

So many people are counting on us to give Barack the Congress he needs to finish what he started.  Folks who are working harder than ever before, they need a Congress that will raise the minimum wage, because no one in this country should work 40 or 50 hours a week and still be stuck in poverty -- not in America.  That’s now who we are.  (Applause.)  That is not who we are. 

Women across this country who are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies, we need a Congress that will protect our rights and freedoms.  (Applause.)  We need a Congress that will help women like us get equal pay for equal work, because, as everyone says, “When women succeed --

AUDIENCE:  -- America succeeds.” 

MRS. OBAMA:  See, I was listening.  (Laughter.) 

And our children and grandchildren across this country, they need a Congress that will vote for quality preschool, better teacher training, affordable college -- because that’s what our kids deserve.  That’s what they need to fill every last bit of their God-given potential.

So our kids are counting on us to stand up for them this November.  They’re kids like a young man named Lawrence Lawson, who I met at a college affordability event in Virginia a few months ago.  Lawrence, this amazing kid -- his father died when he was just 8 years old.  And at the age of 9, Lawrence suffered a major seizure and it required him to have to learn to read and walk and speak again.  And then when he was 12, his mom died, so Lawrence was passed from his aunt in Atlanta to his sister in Baltimore. 

But no matter where he was, Lawrence did his best in school -- do you hear me?  This kid stayed focused.  He joined the marching band.  He interned at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  And he graduated as the valedictorian of his high school class.

And let me tell you, as I travel this country, I meet so many kids just like Lawrence.  Kids who wake up early and take the long route to school to avoid gangs.  Kids who juggle afterschool jobs to support their families, and stay up late to get their homework done -- I know those kids.  Kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, but who are fighting every day to realize their dream of a better life.  

These kids have every reason to give up, but they are so hungry to succeed.  They are so desperate to lift themselves up.  And that’s why we’re here today -- because those kids never give up, and neither can we.

So between now and November, we need to be energized for them -- do you hear me?  We need to be inspired for those kids.  We need to pour everything we have into these elections so that they can have the opportunities they need to build the futures they deserve.

And if we all do that -- this is so within our power -- if we all keep stepping up and digging deep and bringing others with us along the way, then I know that we can keep on making that change we believe in.  I know that we can finish what we started.  And together, we can keep working on building a future worthy of all of our children.

Are you all ready? 

AUDIENCE:  Ready. 

MRS. OBAMA:  We can do this.  Didn’t you -- did you hear that?  It’s us, our voters.  We can get -- do you know where our voters are?  We’ve got to find them.  We’ve got to get them out.  We know.  The DCCC knows.  We’ll get this done, but we need you guys really working hard on this. 

Are you ready for this?  Can you guys get this done?  (Applause.)  Let’s just say we will make it happen.  We will make it happen.  We have great folks to send to Washington to keep in Washington, but it’s going to be on us to make it happen.  And I’m going to be there every step of the way.

So thank you, all.  God bless.  Let’s get it done.  (Applause.)

END
4:53 P.M. EDT

Remarks by The President in a Conference Call hosted by Public Health Groups

Via Conference Call

2:10 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thanks, Gina.  And thanks to all the folks at EPA who worked so hard to put this plan forward.  I want to thank everybody who is on the call.  We’re going to be talking about carbon pollution and the standards that we proposed this morning.

I think a lot of people are aware of the Climate Action Plan that I put forward last year based on what we know, which is that climate change is real.  It has impacts not just in a distant future.  It has serious impacts, as we speak.  And what the EPA and Gina has been able to put forward, based on conversations they’ve had with a wide range of stakeholders from businesses, to workers, to many of the health organizations that are on the phone today, what she’s been able to do with her team is to craft a sensible, state-based plan that provides states a wide range of options in terms of achieving their goals, but makes sure that we are reducing the carbon pollution that hurts the health of our kids, and the health of the planet, while also giving us enormous opportunities to grow and improve the economy in all sorts of ways.

Now, up until now there have been no national limits on the amount of carbon pollution that existing power plants can pump into the air.  In contrast, we limit the amount of toxic chemicals, like mercury and sulfur and arsenic that power plants put into our air and water.  And the essence of the plan that the EPA is presenting makes sure that we’re finally doing the same with carbon. 

Since carbon emissions are a major contributor to climate change, and since power plants are responsible for about 40 percent of America’s carbon pollution, these new standards are going to help us leave our children a safer and more stable world. 

And since air pollution from power plants actually worsens asthma and other breathing problems, putting these guidelines in place will help protect the health of vulnerable Americans, including children and the elderly.

And I just want to give one example, I got a letter from Dian Coleman, who is a mother of four.  Her three kids have asthma.  Her daughter has a congenital health defect.  She keeps her home free of dust that can trigger asthma attacks.  Cigarettes aren’t allowed across the threshold of her home.  But despite all that, she can't control the pollution that contributes potentially to her kids’ illnesses, as well as threatening the planet.  We’ve got to make sure that we’re doing something on behalf of Dian, and doing it in a way that allows us also to grow the economy and get at the forefront of our clean energy future. 

And the health issues that we’re talking about hit some communities particularly hard.  African American children are twice as likely to be hospitalized for asthma, four times as likely to die from asthma.  Latinos are 30 percent more likely to be hospitalized for asthma.  So these proposed standards will help us meet that challenge head on.  It sets carbon targets, give states and regions the flexibility to meet them, using the mix of energy resources that work best for them -- whether it’s natural gas or cleaner coal or solar or wind or hydropower or geothermal or nuclear.  And it provides a huge incentive for the states and consumers to become more energy efficient.

As a result, your electricity bills will shrink as these standards spur investment in energy efficiency, cutting waste, and ultimately we’re going to be saving money for homes and for businesses.

Now, I promise you, you will hear from critics who say the same thing they always say, that these guidelines will kill jobs, or crush the economy.  What we’ve seen every time, is that these claims are debunked when you actually give workers and businesses the tools and the incentive they need to innovate.  When Americans are called on to innovate, that's what we do -- whether it’s making more fuel-efficient cars or more fuel-efficient appliances, or making sure that we are putting in place the kinds of equipment that prevents harm to the ozone layer and eliminates acid rain.  At every one of these steps, there have been folks who have said it can't be done.  There have been naysayers who said this is going to destroy jobs and destroy industry. 

And it doesn't happen because once we have a clear target to meet, we typically meet it.  And we find the best ways to do it.

And by the way, the idea of setting higher standards to cut carbon is not new.  A lot of companies are already moving to lower-carbon energy sources.  You’ve got more than a dozen states that are already implementing market-based programs to reduce carbon pollution.  Over a thousand mayors have agreed to cut their cities’ carbon emissions. 

Today, carbon emissions are at the lowest they’ve been in about 20 years.  And that’s a good start.  But it’s just not good enough when you look at the projections of where we’re going.  And for the sake of our children, we’re going to have to do more.  In America, we do not have to choose between the health of our economy and the health of our kids.  We can do both.

And you should expect that there’s going to be a heated debate in Washington, there’s going to be a lot of efforts to put out misinformation and to try to make sure that spin overwhelms substance, and that PR overwhelms science, but I wanted to call you directly so you guys hear from me directly this is something that is important for all of us.  As parents, as grandparents, as citizens, as folks who care about the health of our families and also want to make sure that future generations are able to enjoy this beautiful blue ball in the middle of space that we’re a part of.  So I just want you to all join in and work hard to build momentum for these plans because this the right direction to go in, and it’s going to mean a better future for America.

And if we’re working together, I guarantee you we can build that cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous future.  So thanks very much, everybody.  Bye-bye.

END
2:17 P.M. EDT