Remarks by the President and Vice President on the Need for Congress to Pass Transportation Funding

Shake Shack
Washington, D.C.

12:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me say something to these folks real quick so we can eat our burgers in peace.  And excuse me, my voice is a little hoarse -- I had a cold at the beginning of the week.  In addition to coming to Shake Shack -- which has great burgers and pays its employees over 10 bucks an hour, so we’re very proud of them and the great work that they’re doing --  we’ve been talking a lot all across the country about the importance of raising the minimum wage.  These four individuals just completed a project here in D.C. –- an infrastructure project that put a lot of folks to work, it is going to make the economy move better, traffic move better.  And as you know, earlier this week, both Joe and I highlighted the fact that we’re fast-tracking projects all across the country. 

One of the things that we could do right now to put more Americans back to work is to fund our transportation more effectively and more consistently.  And if Congress does not act, then by the end of this summer, we could have hundreds of thousands of projects like this all across the country stop.  And people whose livelihoods depend on those projects sent home.  And businesses that need improved infrastructure suffering under downgraded infrastructure. 

So it is a no-brainer for Congress to do what it’s supposed to do:  Pass transportation funding.  We can do it without adding to the deficit simply by getting rid of some corporate tax loopholes that aren’t creating jobs and are basically giveaways to folks who don’t need them.  And when people -- when you ask Americans from all walks of life all across the country what’s their number one priority, it’s improving the economy and putting people back to work.  And one of the best ways we can do it is to do something about the roads, the bridges, the ports, the airports, the sewer lines all across the country that need repair. 

We know we’re going to have to do it.  This is like deferred maintenance on your house.  If you’ve got to do some tuck-pointing to fix the roof or fix the boiler, there’s no point in putting it off.  Now is the time to do it, and we’ve got outstanding contractors and workers ready to work.  So I hope Congress gets working, and I’m prepared to work with anybody on a bipartisan basis to get it done.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Mr. President, for 40 years it’s been a bipartisan notion. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Right.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  For 40 years.  This is the first time  -- I’ve been hanging around and it’s like, oh, infrastructure.

THE PRESIDENT:  This shouldn’t be Democrat or Republican.  This is American.  We’ve got to rebuild America.  And these are folks who are doing it.

So thank you very much, everybody.  Enjoy your burgers if you guys are buying them. 

END   
12:14 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at DSCC Dinner - NY, NY

Private Residence
New York, New York

7:10 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Well, first of all, to Blair and Cheryl and their kids, thank you so much for opening up this gorgeous home.  And to Gary, Josh and Jamie -- just the whole crew -- these folks have been with me dating back to when people couldn't pronounce my name.  (Laughter.)  So they are early investors and they’ve been with me through thick and thin, and I couldn't be more grateful for the incredible support and friendship that they’ve provided.

You’ve got two of the best senators in the country in this room in Jack Reed and Michael Bennet.  These are the folks you actually want in the Senate.  They’re serious; they work hard; they are work horses rather than show horses.  They are thoughtful.  They are constantly looking for ways to be bipartisan, but are rock-solid when it comes to Democratic principles.  And I'm proud to have served with them and they’re great friends.  So we're glad they’re there.

And Shaun Donovan is one of your own, used to hang out around here a little bit.  And Blair is right to acknowledge that in the aftermath of Sandy when we thought about who was somebody who we had confidence could drive a process to make sure that the federal, state and local coordination delivered for the people who had been affected, and that we could rebuild both on the New York side and the Jersey side as effectively as possible and as quickly as possible -- Shaun came to mind, and working with Jamie and others I think has done a terrific job.  So thank you for the great job that you’ve done. 

The country is, by most measures, doing much better than when I came into office.  And that's demonstrable.  We were losing 800,000 jobs a month.  Now we've created 9.2 million jobs; the unemployment rate has come drastically down.  Because of the recovery of the stock market and the housing market, trillions of dollars of wealth have been restored to the American people.  We produce more energy than ever before, and we've been able to accomplish that while doubling clean energy and reducing our carbon emissions faster than any other industrialized country. 

Our education system has seen significant improvement.  We've reduced the dropout rate -- actually, the Latino dropout rate has been cut in half since 2000; college attendance never been higher.  Our exports are up, our imports of oil are down, and the deficit has been cut by more than half.

So if you look at the numbers you’d say not only are we moving in the right direction but we've actually got better cards than most other countries around the world.  And yet, what we also know is, despite the momentum that Blair discussed, there’s still anxiety around the country -- partly because people still feel traumatized by what happened in 2007-2008.  They had a sense of how unstable their situations, how precarious their situations could be.  But partly because we've seen a two-decade to three-decade-long trend where increases in profitability, expansions of markets, increases in corporate profits, rises in the stock market don't translate into higher incomes and higher wages for the ordinary person -- at the same time that their costs for sending their kids to college have skyrocketed.  Their health care costs, up until -- shockingly -- the Affordable Care Act was passed, had been skyrocketing.  And so folks feel vulnerable.  And what they’re uncertain of is whether even with the improvement, the next generation is going to do as well or better than they did.

And that's the central issue of our time -- do we continue to build a middle class and generate ladders of opportunity so that anybody who works hard and is willing to take responsibility can succeed. 

And the steps we've tried to take in conjunction with the Senate over the last five years have advanced that goal.  Whether it was expanding Pell grants for disadvantaged kids, or making sure that people weren’t going bankrupt because they got sick, or putting people back to work rebuilding our infrastructure, everything we've done, everything we've pursued has had that in mind -- making sure if you work hard you can make it in this country.

And despite the progress we've made, there is so much left to do.  And the challenge we've got is very simple:  Washington doesn’t work.  It's not as if we've got no good ideas on policy. We've got tons of them.  I've got a drawer full of things that we know would create jobs, help our middle class, boost incomes, make us more competitive.  But we have a party on the other side that has been captured by an ideology that says no to everything because they cling to a rigid theory that the only way to grow the economy is for government to be dismantled and let the market sort things out, and folks at the top doing very well will somehow automatically trickle down to everybody else. 

And there might have been a time where that was an exaggeration.  But now it's not.  You can see it in their budgets.  You can see it in their opposition to hiking the minimum wage.  You can see it in their opposition to funding basic research.  You can see it in their position that the only way to cut the deficit is to cut things that the most vulnerable of our population depends on.  You can see it in their refusal to rebuild our infrastructure -- something that never used to be partisan. 

And the only reason we've been able to make some progress and gain some traction is because we've had a Senate in Democratic hands that has shown extraordinary unity -- which means that we've at least been able to get our agenda out there and have a debate about the minimum wage, and have a debate about increasing funding for basic research, and have a debate that says, no, climate change is real and it is both a challenge and an opportunity we can do something about.

Now, here’s the good news -- and I'll be happy to talk to you about the details of any one of these policies.  The good news is, on every issue that you and I care about the country is actually on our side.  Immigration reform -- a majority of the country agrees with us.  Raise the minimum wage -- a majority of the country agrees with us.  Investing in basic research -- check.  Rebuilding our infrastructure and putting our folks back to work -- agree with it.  Revamping our tax code that we're rewarding companies that are investing here in the United States -- they’re with us. 

There are very few issues, if any, in which the Republican position enjoys the majority public support.  But we've got one problem -- we have a congenital disease which is, during midterms our voters don't show up.  That's what it comes down to.  That and population distribution and gerrymandering. 

I was with de Blasio I guess two days before the election.  We're in Brooklyn; the streets are filled and everybody is waving.  And I go into buy some cheesecake -- some woman comes up and hugs me and kisses me and says, oh, my sister just got on the Affordable Care Act and we love you.  What can we do to support you?  And I said, move to North Dakota.  (Laughter.)  If I could just get about a million excess votes in Brooklyn -- (laughter)-- out to Nebraska, Wyoming, we’d be doing okay.  I don't need 80 percent of the vote here.  (Laughter.) 

So we've got some structural disadvantages, but we do not vote during midterms.  Our voters are younger; they’re more likely to be minority; unmarried women.  They’re folks who can get galvanized and excited during presidential elections, but we have a tougher time communicating with them during midterms.  And that's what we have to break.  We have to break that cycle.

I told Michelle in 2012 this was my last campaign.  She said, hallelujah!  And then I had to go back to her about six months ago and say, actually, honey, let me amend that.  (Laughter.)  We've got one more campaign.  Because if we are going to realize the potential that we have right now, then we've got to perform better during these midterm elections.  I have to have partners in Congress.  I have to have partners in Congress.

If you care about climate change, I've got to have partners in Congress.  I can do some things administratively; we can do more if we've got folks who are serious in Congress.  I can do some things administratively on immigration, but I can't make sure that all the incredible talent that is a huge strength for us compared to our competitors over the next two decades -- the fact that young people from around the world want to come here and succeed here and strive here -- I can't deliver on that without Congress ultimately acting. 

I was up at the Tappan Zee Bridge.  I can cut permitting times by more than half to get projects up and running.  But if we're going to be serious about dealing with all the bridges and all the roads and airports and ports and broadband lines and smart grid that would put us in a competitive position and put people back to work right now and cut our unemployment -- I can't do that unless I've got a Congress that is serious.

So the stakes here are big.  And I want people to feel the same sense of urgency about this as they do about a presidential election.  Because ultimately, the elections have never been about me; they’ve been about what can we do together.  And I cannot do it unless I've got partners like Jack and Michael along with me.

So my main message is one of hope.  We've got all the ingredients to make this the American Century, just like the last one.  To achieve it, though, we've got to make sure our political system works better.  And, yes, there are all kinds of reforms that we need to do, from campaign finance to how a filibuster works, to going after Republicans hard when their main political agenda when it comes to -- or main election strategy is preventing people from voting -- we've got to push back on all that stuff.  But ultimately, there are enough voters out there to deliver if we can turn them out. 

And that's what the DSCC is all about.  That's their priority.  That's my priority.  And I hope it becomes yours as well.  Thanks.  (Applause.)

END
7:23 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at Presentation of Medal of Honor to Sergeant Kyle J. White, U.S. Army

East Room

2:44 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Please, be seated.  Welcome to the White House.  It has been said that true courage is “a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to incur it.”  For more than 12 years, with our nation at war, the men and women of our armed forces have known the measure of danger that comes with military service.  But year after year, tour after tour, they have displayed a selfless willingness to incur it -- by stepping forward, by volunteering, by serving and sacrificing greatly to keep us all safe.

Today, our troops are coming home.  By the end of this year, our war in Afghanistan will be over.  And we’ll welcome home this generation -- the 9/11 Generation -- that has proven itself to be one of America’s greatest.

And today, we pay tribute to a soldier who embodies the courage of his generation -- a young man who was a freshman in high school when the Twin Towers fell, and who just five years later became an elite paratrooper with the legendary 173rd Airborne -- the Sky Soldiers.  Today, we present our nation’s highest military decoration -- the Medal of Honor -- to Sergeant Kyle J. White. 

Kyle is the second Sky Soldier to be recognized with the Medal of Honor for service above and beyond the call of duty in Afghanistan.  Today, he joins Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, and a proud brotherhood of previous honorees, members of the Medal of Honor Society -- some of whom are with us here today.

We have a lot of VIPs here, but I’d like to acknowledge the most important -- Kyle’s parents, Cheryl and Curt, and Kyle’s girlfriend, Helen.  I am told that back home in Bonney Lake, Washington when Kyle wanted to enlist, at first he had his sights set on the Marines.  But his dad Curt is a veteran of the Army, Special Forces.  So I’m told there was a difference of opinion.  (Laughter.)  And, I suspect, a good family discussion.  As Commander-in-Chief, I cannot take sides in this debate.  (Laughter.)  The bottom line is Kyle joined the Army.  And in doing so he carried on his family’s proud tradition of service, which found its expression on a November day over six years ago.

Across Afghanistan, base commanders were glued to their radios, listening as American forces fought back an ambush in the rugged mountains.  One battalion commander remembered that “all of Afghanistan” was listening as a soldier on the ground described what was happening.  They knew him by his call sign -- “Charlie One Six Romeo.”  We know it was Kyle, who at the time was just 20 years old and only 21 months into his military service.   

Earlier that afternoon, Kyle and the 13 members of his team, along with a squad of Afghan soldiers, left an Afghan village after a meeting with elders.  The Americans made their way back up a steep hill -- single file, along a narrow path, a cliff face rising to their right, and a slope of rocky shale dropping on their left.  They knew not to stop, that they had to keep moving.  They were headed into an area known as “ambush alley”.  

And that’s when a single shot rang out.  Then another.  And then the entire canyon erupted, with bullets coming from what seemed like every direction.  It was as if, Kyle said, the whole valley “lit up.” 

The platoon returned fire.  Kyle quickly emptied a full magazine, but as he went to load a second, an enemy grenade exploded and knocked him unconscious.  He came to with his face pressed against a rock.  And as he moved to get up, enemy rounds hit a rock just inches from his head, sending shrapnel and rock shards across his face.   

Most of the unit had been forced to slide down the cliff to the valley below.  But Kyle saw a teammate -- Specialist Kain Schilling -- trying to treat his own shattered arm, using a tree as cover -- what Kain later called “the smallest tree on Earth.”  I’m sure that’s how it felt.  Kyle sprinted through enemy fire to Kain’s side and began applying a tourniquet -- shielding Kain with his own body as gunfire shredded that tree. 

Then Kyle saw another man down -- Marine Sergeant Phillip Bocks -- in the open, 30 feet behind them, but too injured to reach cover.  Kyle remembers thinking, “It’s just a matter of time before I’m dead.  If that’s going to happen, I might as well help someone while I can.”

With bullets impacting all around him, Kyle ran to Bocks and began to pull the injured Marine to cover.  But worried that he’d expose Bocks to more gunfire, Kyle retreated.  The enemy rounds followed him.  He ran out again, pulling Bocks a little farther.  And once more he retreated to distract the enemy fire.  Once more he went out -- over and over thinking to himself, “I’m not going to make it.”  Kyle could feel the pressure of the rounds going by him.  But somehow, miraculously, they never hit him.  Not once.  One of his teammates said it was as if Kyle was moving “faster than a speeding bullet”.

And finally, Kyle succeeded in pulling his comrade to cover.  Tragically, there on that cliff, Sergeant Bocks succumbed to his wounds.  But in his final moments, this American Marine surely found some solace in Kyle White -- the American soldier who, until the very end, was there by his side.   

Now, that other injured soldier, Kain Shilling, was still out there.  And he had sustained another injury, this time to his knee.  Kyle ran out once more to Kain’s side.  Kyle ripped off his own belt for a tourniquet, and soon got his hands on a working radio.  The voice of Charlie One Six Romeo came into base.  Crouching behind that lone tree, Kyle began calling in airstrikes to take out enemy positions.

Kyle stayed with Specialist Schilling as night fell.  And Kain was too badly injured to move.  Kyle was starting to feel the fog of his own concussions set in, but he knew that he was Kain’s best chance to get out alive, so Kyle took charge and ordered the Afghan soldiers to form a security perimeter.  He called in a MEDEVAC and made sure Kain and the other injured were safely on board.  And only then did Kyle finally allow himself to be lifted out.

As the helicopter pulled away, Kyle looked out the window, watching the darkness as they pulled away from that single tree on the cliff.  “When you’re deployed,” he later said, “those people become your family.  What you really care about is:  I want to get this guy to the left and to the right home.”

This family was tested that day.  Not a single one of them escaped without injury, and six brave Americans gave their lives -- their last full measure of devotion.  And we remember them today.  Sergeant Phillip A. Bocks.  Captain Matthew C. Ferrara.  Specialist Joseph M. Lancour.  Sergeant Jeffery S. Mersman.  Corporal Lester G. Roque.  And Kyle’s best friend, Corporal Sean K. A. Langevin.  Some of their families are here today.  I’d ask them to please stand so we can recognize their extraordinary sacrifice.  (Applause.)

The legacy of these fallen heroes endures in the courage and strength of their unit -- 14 men, forever brothers-in-arms.  We’re proud to welcome those who fought so valiantly that day:  Specialist Kain Schilling, the soldier that Kyle saved, and members of the 2nd Battalion, Chosen Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.  Would you please stand.  (Applause.) 

We honor Kyle White for his extraordinary actions on that November day.  But his journey from that day to this speaks to the story of his generation.  Kyle completed the rest of a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan.  He came back home and trained other young paratroopers as they prepared to deploy.  When he completed his service, Kyle decided to pursue a different dream, and with the help of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, he went to college, he graduated, and today works for a bank in Charlotte, North Carolina.

When Kyle walks into the office every day, people see a man in a suit headed to work.  And that’s how it should be -- a proud veteran welcomed into his community, contributing his talents and skills to the progress of our nation.  But Kyle will tell you that the transition to civilian life -- and dealing with the post-traumatic stress -- hasn’t always been easy.  More than six years later, he can still see the images and hear the sounds of that battle.  Every day, he wakes up thinking about his battle buddies.

And if you look closely at that man in the suit on his way to work, you’ll notice the piece of the war that he carries with him tucked under his shirt sleeve -- a stainless steel bracelet around his wrist etched with the names of his six fallen comrades who will always be with him.  “Their sacrifice motivates me,” he says, to “be the best [that] I can be.  Everything I do in my life is done to make them proud.” 

Kyle, members of Chosen Company, you did your duty, and now it’s time for America to do ours:  After more than a decade of war, to welcome you home with the support and the benefits and opportunities that you’ve earned.  You make us proud, and you motivate all of us to be the best we can be as Americans, as a nation; to uphold our sacred obligations to your generation and all who have faced that “measure of danger” and “the willingness to incur it.”   

May God bless you, and may your courage inspire and sustain us always.  And may God continue to bless the United States of America. 

With that, I’d like to have the citation read.

MILITARY AIDE:  The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Specialist Kyle J. White, United States Army.

Specialist Kyle J. White distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio telephone operator with Company C, 2nd Battalion Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade during combat operations against an armed enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on November 9, 2007. 

On that day, Specialist White and his comrades were returning to Bella Outpost from a shura with Aranas village elders.  As the soldiers traversed a narrow path surrounded by mountainous, rocky terrain, they were ambushed by enemy forces from elevated positions.  Pinned against a steep mountain face, Specialist White and his fellow soldiers were completely exposed to enemy fire.  Specialist White returned fire and was briefly knocked unconscious when a rocket-propelled grenade impacted near him. 

When he regained consciousness, another round impacted near him, embedding small pieces of shrapnel in his face.  Shaking off his wounds, Specialist White noticed one of his comrades lying wounded nearby.  Without hesitation, Specialist White exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reach the soldier and provide medical aid. 

After applying a tourniquet, Specialist White moved to an injured Marine, providing aid and comfort until the Marine succumbed to his wounds.  Specialist White then returned to the soldier and discovered that he had been wounded again.  Applying his own belt as an additional tourniquet, Specialist White was able to stem the flow of blood and save the soldier’s life.

Noticing that his and the other soldiers’ radios were inoperative, Specialist White exposed himself to enemy fire yet again in order to secure a radio from a deceased comrade.  He then provided information and updates to friendly forces, allowing precision airstrikes to stifle the enemy’s attack and ultimately permitting medical evacuation aircraft to rescue him, his fellow soldiers, Marines, and Afghan army soldiers.

Specialist Kyle J. White.  Extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 2nd Battalion Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the United States Army.  (Applause.)

(Prayer.)

THE PRESIDENT:  That concludes the ceremony, but not the celebration.  I hear the food here is pretty good.  (Laughter.)  And the drinks are free.  (Laughter.)  Who gave a big shout on that?  I heard somebody.  (Laughter.)  But I hope all of you enjoy the hospitality of the White House.  I hope we all remember once again those who are fallen.  We are grateful to the families who are here.  And to Kyle and all who serve in America’s Armed Forces, we want you to know that we will always be grateful for your extraordinary service to our country.

Thank you very much, everybody.  Have a great afternoon.  (Applause.)  

END
3:04 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President and the Vice President Honoring the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS

East Room

5:39 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the White House.  I especially want to welcome my old friend, Tommy Nee, and Bill Johnson and everyone in the National Association of Police Organizations.  Ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by saying congratulations to all of you assembled behind us.

It’s a genuine honor to be in the presence of the “best of the best.”  Each year you guys come down here -- and, Tommy, you bring down the best -- and you're an inspiration.  You're not only an inspiration to us, but you're an inspiration to all your fellow law enforcement colleagues all across the entire country.

And the President and I, we recognize the bravery that you display simply by putting on that shield every morning.  That, all by itself, is an act of bravery.  Strapping on your sidearm, kissing your husband or your wife goodbye at the door, walking out knowing -- because most of you are experienced -- knowing that you don't know with any degree of certitude what’s about to greet you.  You have no idea -- except some of it may not be good.

The officers we have here today have been singled out for going above and beyond the call of duty, and we commend each and every one of them.  And from my perspective, there’s no greater honor that a law enforcement officer could have than being recognized and nominated by his fellow officers -- because you all know what real courage is.  You all know what kind of steel in your spine it takes to make the decisions that the men standing behind me have made.

We also know that there are thousands and thousands of more law enforcement officers out there on the job today and every day who are taking risks that are hard for ordinary people to imagine.  They take risks to protect the community, protect the people they don't know, protect people they’ve never met.  But they go out there and you all do it anyway, regardless of whether or not -- where they’re from, who they are, whether you know them or not.

And today is a day for them as well, all those officers -- a day that every man and woman in uniform should feel extremely proud -- proud of themselves, not just the men and women standing behind me.  Today is a day the entire community of police officers should understand that America appreciates what you're doing, that this President and I appreciate what you're doing.

We owe the families, because every single day, as I said, you kiss your husband or wife goodbye, your son or your daughter, you know there’s that little, nagging feeling inside you -- that nagging feeling that I wonder what’s going to be meeting them today.  And that's a sacrifice.  It's a sacrifice that goes without adequate recognition.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my great honor and privilege to present to you a man who fully recognizes that sacrifice, who’s committed to law enforcement in his bones.  And every action he has taken as President has been designed to protect those of you behind the shield, and the shield in front of the families that they represent. 

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor and privilege to present to you the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)    

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  It is a great honor to be here -- one of my favorite events that we do every single year.  And let me start by thanking Joe Biden not only for being a great Vice President -- which he is -- but also being a lifelong friend of law enforcement.  (Applause.)  Now, he and I have a special reason for loving law enforcement, because we have the unusual privilege of being surrounded by law enforcement every minute of every day.  (Laughter.)  And they also protect the people we love most in the world -- our families.  So we’re incredibly grateful to them and to all the law enforcement officers who serve and protect families and communities across the nation every single day.

Some of the public servants who make sure America’s police officers have what they need to do their jobs are also here today, and I just want to recognize them briefly.  First of all, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson is here.  (Applause.) Attorney General Eric Holder is here, as well.  (Applause.)  Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is here.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank everybody from the National Association of Police Organizations, including your outstanding president, Tom Nee.  (Applause.) 

But, most of all, we’re here to welcome and congratulate our guests of honor, America’s Top Cops of 2014, and to thank their families -- their spouses, moms, dads, sons, daughters who love and support these heroes every single step of the way.  So give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  We know it takes a lot of courage to be a cop, but it also takes a lot of courage to love a cop -- (laughter) -- and to send them off to work every single day with a hug and a prayer for their safety.  So all of you are heroes in my book, as well. 

The 53 officers, detectives, patrolmen, special agents, and troopers that we celebrate today are America’s Finest -- the best of the best.  They hail from different parts of the country, and different events brought them here today.  But they share one important thing in common.  When the moment came -- when the shooting started, or a bomb went off, or a hostage was taken, or a child screamed for help -- they did not hesitate.  They went into action.  They ran toward the danger -- not away from it.  And they risked their lives to save the lives of others.

Now, I got a chance to spend a little time with these guys before they came out here.  When you talk to them -- and this has been true every time we’ve done this, every single year -- they’ll always say, I was just doing my job, insisting that they didn’t do anything extraordinary.  And they’re right about one thing:  There are heroes in every force, in every city, in every town across the nation.  And everyone standing up here owes something to police officers who aren’t here, somebody who pushed them to do their best and had their backs when they needed it.  So this is also a celebration for all law enforcement who are doing their jobs out there bravely and diligently, and we want to thank them for keeping us safe.

Having said that, even if these guys won’t admit it, there is something special about these guys.  This is the sixth year that I’ve welcomed Top Cops to the White House, and every year, their stories are incredible.  There are no exceptions.

There’s somebody on the loose here!  (Laughter.)  Oh no!  She was making a break for it.  (Laughter.)  That was great.  Did you see her?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I saw her.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  She was moving.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  She could move quickly.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Here are some of the reasons these officers are here today. 

Surviving a violent ambush in the pitch-black woods while confronting an escaped felon convicted of sexual assault.  

Engaging in hand-to-hand combat to take down someone seen trying to blow up a gas station near a major international airport. 

Storming an underground bunker to rescue a kidnapped five-year-old boy. 

Braving a hail of gunfire to protect victims of domestic violence.

One of these officers, in protecting the public, took out a suspected cop-killing bank robber with what was described as a one-in-a-million shot.  Another stopped a shooter by returning fire through the windshield of his patrol car -- while making sure to wear his seat belt.  (Laughter.)  One jumped a fence during his own Father’s Day celebration when a boy screamed that someone was trying to kill his mom.  He saved both the mother and her son -- and now that little boy says he’s thinking about becoming a cop as well.

And there are officers here who were in the thick of two attacks last year:  the shooting at the Washington Naval Yard and the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  On those awful days -- and we all remember them -- amid the smoke and the chaos, the courage of these officers shone through.  And their quick thinking and level-headedness undoubtedly saved lives.  Their willingness to put themselves in danger to protect others answered the prayer of Americans watching all across the country.

So heroism like this can come with great sacrifice.  Some of the officers here today sustained serious injuries in the line of duty.  They were shot or stabbed.  Some lost friends, even a partner.  Some are still recovering. 

There’s one person who should be here today but isn’t -- Officer Dennis Simmonds of the Boston P.D.  Last year, Officer Simmonds was injured in an explosion during that gun battle after the Boston Marathon bombing.  And just a few weeks ago, he died while on active duty.  Dennis’s partner, Officer Jean Gerard Jean-Louis, is here.  So are members of his family, including his parents, Dennis and Roxanne.  And our sorrow at your loss is matched only by our gratitude for your son’s service and sacrifice.  I told the family before I came out here he will not be forgotten.

So what these officers do is dangerous.  They do it because it’s important.  Maintaining the public safety is the foundation of everything that is good that happens every single day in America.  It’s why parents can send their kids to school and adults can head off to work, and community centers and houses of worship can open their doors to one and all, and businesses can start and thrive.  And that’s why people can cast their votes and express their views without fear.  It’s one of the reasons people travel and do business in these United States. 

And that’s why Americans everywhere owe a debt to our nation’s law enforcement.  And we have to do our part by making sure all of you have the resources and protections and support that you need to do your job well.  That’s our end of the bargain.  That’s what I’m going to keep on fighting for every day that I have the honor of serving as your President.  And that’s what Joe Biden is going to work every day as long as he has the honor of serving as your Vice President.   

So on behalf of all the American people, thank you.  There are people alive today because of you.  You may not even know their names, but we do, and we’re proud of you.  

God bless you.  God bless your families, and God bless the United States of America.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

END
5:51 P.M. EDT