Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice at the Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference

National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice
Remarks at Export-Import Bank Annual Conference
Washington, D.C.
Friday, April 24, 2015
As Prepared

Thank you, Kusum, for that wonderful introduction.  Your story is a powerful testament to the drive and ingenuity of American small business owners, and to how the Ex-Im Bank facilitates connections and commerce that lift up our world.      

I want to thank my friend Fred Hochberg for his outstanding leadership of Ex-Im.  Fred, you’ve held the reins during a challenging time, and through it all, Ex-Im has provided critical support to help get the global economy back on track.  Thank you.  

President Obama has made promoting prosperity his top domestic priority and a key pillar of our National Security Strategy.  Even as we’re dealing with pressing global challenges—from countering terrorist threats to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and combatting climate change—we’re advancing an affirmative agenda that promotes prosperity around the world. 

Of course, President Obama isn’t the first American leader to emphasize the connection between a strong economy and strong foreign policy.  During the Depression, President Roosevelt proclaimed that America’s “full and permanent domestic recovery depends in part upon a revived and strengthened international trade.”  After World War II, President Truman noted that “peace, freedom, and world trade are inseparable.”  So today, once again confronted with a changing world, I’d like to lay out how the Obama Administration draws on America’s economic strength to bolster our national security and prepare for the challenges of the future.  

First, we are expanding economic opportunity, starting with American workers.  We’re now in the midst of the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record.  Businesses have added more than 12 million new jobs.  We’ve brought unemployment from a high of 10 percent in 2009 to 5.5 percent today.  And, critically, wages are finally on the rise again. 

FDR was right that America’s recovery is linked to robust international commerce.  That’s why President Obama launched the National Export Initiative in 2010—to help American companies reach overseas markets and create new jobs.  And it’s working.  Since 2009, exports have made up almost one-third of our growth.  All told, exports support more than 11 million American jobs, and those jobs pay up to 18 percent more than non-export related jobs. 

We’re also encouraging foreign direct investment into the United States.  Business leaders already recognize that the United States is the best place to locate, invest, and hire.  So, we’re making it easier for them.  With our SelectUSA initiative, we’ve cut red tape, streamlined government processes, and helped generate more than $20 billion in job-creating investments. 

That’s good progress, but there are more markets waiting to be tapped.  That’s why the Export-Import Bank of the United States is essential.  Last year, financing from the Bank helped thousands of American entrepreneurs reach new markets and grow their small businesses.  It supported 164,000 private sector American jobs.  And, it didn’t cost the American taxpayer a penny—Ex-Im returned $675 million to the Treasury.  That’s the very definition of a win-win.  And, I can tell you, when President Obama meets with foreign leaders, Ex-Im is an important part of our diplomacy.  So, I join the President, Members of Congress from both parties, the American Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and small business owners across the country in calling on Congress to reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank with a long-term mandate to continue its vital work.

Today, we’re pursuing the most ambitious trade agenda in history.  We are working with Congress to secure support for a critical piece of legislation—you may have heard something about it this week—the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act.  This bill will help us finalize the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and ultimately create a free-trade zone that encompasses two-thirds of the global economy—with the United States at its center.  With this legislation, Congress doesn’t cede any power to have the final word on trade agreements.  Rather, it sets the parameters for a deal up front—a deal that protects the interests of American workers, sets high environmental standards, protects intellectual property, and includes robust enforcement provisions.  In short, it gives us the leverage to bring home the best possible agreements.

That brings me to a second way we promote prosperity.  Increased trade and investment is good for the global economy, but to realize its full potential, everyone has to play by the same rules.    

By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s middle class—more than 3 billion people—will live and work and buy in Asia.  To sustain America’s growth, we need to be part of those markets.  So, we are working hard to finalize the Trans Pacific Partnership and break down trade barriers across the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.  At the same time, through TPP, we will ensure that American businesses can compete on a level playing field.  We will protect access to shared spaces like the internet, the seas, and the sky so that goods, people, and ideas can more freely crisscross the region.  And, we will raise the bar on global trade, enshrining the high standards and enforceable protections Americans expect. 

Our economic relationship with Europe is already the largest in the world.  We conduct $1 trillion in annual two-way trade, invest $4 trillion in each other’s economies, and support jobs for millions of American and European workers.  The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will boost all those numbers.  And, if we align the rules that govern commerce on both sides of the Atlantic, we will effectively set the standard for commerce around the world.

These agreements will secure real economic benefits for the American middle class and advance American leadership.  Our security and our ability to shape global events are closely-tied to our sustained economic strength.  But, the global economy is not going to wait for us.  So, the choice is not between moving forward with these agreements and maintaining the status quo.  The choice is between leading the world in a direction that supports American values and interests, thus enhancing the safety of American citizens, and being left behind.  These trade agreements are an integral part of our vision for a future where all countries follow the same rules of the road, and all countries benefit—a future where growing prosperity supports our shared security. 

At a time of shifting power in Asia, TPP reaffirms America’s commitment to the region and to the alliances that have underwritten security and growing prosperity throughout the Asia Pacific for decades.  As Asia continues to grow and drive the global economy, our strategic interests in the region will become even more important—preserving peace and preventing maritime or territorial disputes, but also strengthening the rule of law, advancing human rights, and promoting inclusive development.  We’re committed to shaping the development of a region that will only grow more important to the future. 

Meanwhile, T-TIP will strengthen our trans-Atlantic bonds and put us in an even stronger position to take on shared challenges with our closest Allies.  We seek to build an economic relationship to match the scope and further strengthen our security partnership with Europe.

Let me be clear, growing the global economy is not a zero-sum contest between established and emerging powers.  If we work together to grow the whole pie, we will all be better off.  That’s why President Obama elevated the G-20 to be the premier forum for global economic cooperation—to make sure the world’s fastest growing economies were also part of the world’s most important economic discussions.  And, that’s why we will encourage new institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to uphold the standards that underpin sustainable, inclusive economic growth. 

We’re also committed to modernizing the established institutions of global finance, like the International Monetary Fund.  In the 1980s, the IMF coordinated the response to an international debt crisis brought on by oil shocks.  In the ‘90s, it helped former Soviet-bloc countries transform themselves into market-driven economies.  Today, the IMF is a first responder to global crises—helping Ukraine stand up against Russian aggression, securing our allies in the Middle East against extremists, providing economic relief to countries fighting Ebola in West Africa.  Proposed quota and governance reforms for the IMF would better integrate rising powers like China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil, while preserving American leadership and our veto power.  Congress should pass IMF reform so that we can join our G-20 partners to strengthen this bulwark of economic security. 

Third, we’re expanding prosperity by promoting inclusive growth.  Developing economies provide new markets, growing middle classes, and customers that are essential for sustaining America’s economic strength.  So, under President Obama, we’re forming partnerships that help countries lift themselves up.  And, we’re harnessing the resources and expertise of the private sector to amplify our efforts. 

Take, for example, the New Alliance for Food Security—thanks to more than $10 billion in private-sector commitments, we’re strengthening agriculture and helping farmers across Africa raise their incomes.  Or take Power Africa—with $7 billion from the U.S. government, including support from Ex-Im, we’ve brought in more than $20 billion from the private sector—all focused on increasing access to electricity for 60 million households and businesses across Africa.   

American firms are eager to expand into African markets, as Kusum can attest, and African companies want to do more business with the United States.  That’s why the African Growth and Opportunity Act and our Doing Business in Africa campaign are such effective tools for spurring broad-based development.  The African Growth and Opportunity Act, known as AGOA, makes it easier for African businesses to sell their goods in the United States.  That helps grow Africa’s middle class who, in turn, buy high-quality American products.  Under AGOA, both Africa’s non-oil exports to the United States and American exports to Africa have more than tripled.  So, President Obama strongly supports the bipartisan legislation introduced last week in the House and Senate to update and renew AGOA for the next ten years.         

With more than half the world’s population under the age of 30, we’re investing in job training, entrepreneurship, and educational opportunities for young people.  Through our Young Leaders Initiatives in Africa, Southeast Asia and most recently in the Americas, we’re empowering the next generation with skills and experience to help them succeed.  With the President’s Spark Global Entrepreneurship initiative, we’ll generate more than a billion dollars to help young people launch and expand new enterprises.  And, this summer, President Obama will participate in the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya.       

By spurring trade, setting 21^st century standards, and building the capacity of our partners, we strengthen our ability to take on global challenges like climate change.  The United States is leading the charge to achieve a strong international climate agreement this December in Paris.  We’ve set an ambitious climate target for ourselves and announced joint actions with other major emitters including China, India, and Mexico.  At the same time, we’re developing clean energy solutions that will fuel our continued economic growth, working with partners to set emissions targets that will mitigate the worst effects of climate change, and helping vulnerable countries improve their resilience to climate change.       

Our economic tools also defend America’s national security interests.  Consider our engagement with Iran.  With our P5+1 partners, we’ve successfully reached an initial framework agreement for a long-term deal to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.  But, that deal wouldn’t have even been in the realm of possibility without the strong, rigorously enforced sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table.

When we employ sanctions, we target those who flout international norms while minimizing the impact to the broader global economy.  We rely on sanctions and other financial tools to cut off terrorist financing and disrupt transnational criminal organizations.  Coordinated sanctions with our European partners are imposing costs on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.  And, as online commerce continues to grow, we are developing dynamic approaches to enhance cyber security, including a recently signed executive order authorizing sanctions to deter the worst cyber actors.   

Which brings me to my final point—we rely on the private sector to advance America’s values and economic leadership.  As a government, we open access to foreign markets.  We protect the sea lanes and skyways.  Since 2010, our commercial advocacy has helped American firms sign contracts totaling more than $200 billion in new exports.  At the same time, America’s businesses are the foundation of our economic strength, upon which so much of our security and prosperity depend.  So both the government and private sector have responsibilities to fulfill. 

For example, corruption costs the global economy about $2.6 trillion each year.  So, we’ve made anticorruption efforts a centerpiece of our foreign assistance strategy—if countries want development compacts with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, they must embrace good governance.  Through the Open Government Partnership, we’re working with more than 65 nations to improve economic transparency.  And, the Department of Justice has been dogged in prosecuting those who pay or seek bribes in international business. 

We also count on American companies to meet the highest standards of responsible business practices.  We hold an advantage in the global marketplace because our companies are known as accountable, transparent partners.  So, we’re developing, in partnership with industry, a National Action Plan to promote responsible business conduct and to ensure that the American brand in business reflects American values.        

Leading in the 21^st century isn’t just about the might of our military, it’s about using every element of our national power—including our economic power—to promote universal values and expand opportunity for all people.  It means using diplomacy to rally partners to meet global challenges.  It means implementing development policies that don’t just put a Band-Aid on poverty, they help eradicate it.  And, it means fostering a vibrant domestic economy and policies that expand our shared prosperity.     

When President Obama spoke at this conference five years ago, he issued a call to “make this century another American century.”  As a nation, we’ve come a long way since then.  It’s taken hard work and characteristic American grit to climb out of a deep hole, and we’re not done yet.  With our resurgent economy, our unmatched network of partners and allies, and our firm commitment to expand opportunity, we will continue to pursue a future of shared prosperity that benefits all people.  We will ensure that America continues to lead the global economy throughout this century, just as we did in the last. 

Thank you. 

Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden the 67th Annual Israeli Independence Day Celebration

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Washington, D.C.

7:29 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Ron, Mr. Ambassador, my name is Joe Biden, and everybody knows I love Israel. 

I was thinking as Ron was saying that he doesn't know what it’s like in Catholic families -- whether we argue as much as allegedly occurs in Jewish families.  Well, I settled all that.  Two of my three children married Jews.  (Laughter.)  And you want to see what happens then.  (Laughter.) 

As a matter of fact, my daughter -- I -- the dream of every Irish-Catholic father is for his daughter to marry a Jewish surgeon.  (Laughter.)  And she did.

But I want you to know I think the only time on record, at least in the state of Delaware, in the oldest Catholic church in the state, the second oldest -- 1842 -- we signed the ketubah in the Catholic rectory.  (Laughter.)  Not a joke.  (Laughter.)  Not a joke.  I think that's a first.  We had a chuppah on the altar, handmade, magnificently, beautiful chuppah.  And we had a Catholic priest, Father Murphy, and a rabbi, and it was hard getting a rabbi, by the way.  (Laughter.)  I had to go up to Montgomery County to find one.  (Laughter.)  And the reason why -- Montgomery County, Pennsylvania -- and the reason he came is his mother loved me.  (Laughter.)  But -- and my daughter asked me, she said, Daddy, what do you want played at the wedding?  I said, just one -- maybe the concluding hymn could be “On Eagles’ Wings”.

And so the rabbi was a wonderful guy, literally presided over 75 percent of the wedding.  The vows were administered by the Catholic priest.  And as the wedding party was departing, as the bride and groom were departing down the aisle, they played the hora.  (Laughter.)  So I figured it out.  One way to end arguments is to marry.  (Laughter.) 

Look, the fact of the matter is that 77 years [sic] ago, at midnight on May 14, 1948, against all odds, in the wake of searing tragedy, defiant in the face of overwhelming military numbers massed on its borders, the modern State of Israel was born.   (Applause.)

What you did next was no less than miraculous.  You were blessed with one of the greatest generations of founding fathers and mothers of any nation in the history of the world -- Ben-Gurion, Meir, Begin, Sharon, Rabin, Peres.  They all fashioned Israel into a vibrant, vibrant democracy. 

And in the process, you built one of the most innovative societies on Earth.  In the process, you defended your homeland and became the most powerful military in the entire region.  And all these years later, things have changed, but the danger still exists.  But the people of Israel still live in a dangerous neighborhood.  And just to be an Israeli -- it still demands uncommon courage.

Much has changed, but two things have remained absolutely the same: the courage of your people and the commitment of mine.  (Applause.)   

So today, we celebrate your independence and our friendship, which was born just 11 minutes after Israel’s founding.  And President Obama and I are proud to carry forward the unbroken line of American leaders –- Democrat and Republican —- who have honored America’s sacred promise to protect the homeland of the Jewish people.

It’s no secret that, like administrations before us, as the Ambassador said, we’ve had our differences.  I have been here for a long time, for eight Presidents.  I’ve witnessed disagreements between administrations.  It’s only natural for two democracies like ours.  As Ron said, we’re like family.  We have a lot to say to one another.  Sometimes we drive each other crazy.  But we love each other.  And we protect each other.   (Applause.)

And it’s hard to see with these lights, but I suspect I know many of you personally.  As many of you heard me say before, were there no Israel, America would have to invent one.  We’d have to invent one because Ron is right, you protect our interests like we protect yours.  (Applause.)

So let’s get something straight.  In this moment of some disagreement occasionally between our governments, I want to set the record straight on one thing:  No President has ever done more to support Israel’s security than President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

Just look at the facts.  Each time a rocket has rained down from Gaza, President Obama stands up before the world and defends Israel’s right to defend itself like any other nation. 

Under President Obama, with the United States Congress, America has provided $20 billion in military assistance to Israel -– and cutting edge weaponry needed to maintain the qualitative advantage against any potential opponent. 

You all know the stories of Iron Dome.  What you may not know is that next year, we will deliver to Israel the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter –- our finest -– making Israel the only country in the Middle East with a fifth-generation aircraft.  No other.  (Applause.)

And we continue to discuss, as the Israeli military here and the intelligence communities will tell you in Israel as well as here -- we continue to discuss what more must be done in the near term and the long term to continue to strengthen Israel so she can maintain that edge.  (Applause.)

Our commitment to protect Israel’s security in my case and many of your case is not just political or national interest, it’s personal.  It’s personal for me and it’s personal for the President.

You've heard me say this many of my friends out there before, but it bears repeating on this day, it began at my father’s dinner table.  My father was a righteous Christian.  We assembled to eat, to have discussions -- and occasionally eat.  My father talked about how he could not understand why there was a debate among Americans or why there was a debate among American Jews about whether or not we should have recognized Israel; why there would be any debate about why we hadn’t done more; why we hadn’t -- that's where I first learned about not bombing the railroad tracks.  I learned from my father about the concentration camps.  And the first thing I did with my children when each of them turned 15, I took them to Europe, flew them directly to Dachau, and made them spend a day there with me.  And I’ve done the same with my grandchildren.  My grandchild Finnegan as recently as just a month ago where we met with a 94-year-old survivor of Auschwitz, as well as Dachau.  He showed us the camp because he was proud -- proud -- to welcome the Vice President and his granddaughter.

All you have to do to understand is stand on the Golan and look down.  I remember the first time I did that as a young senator.  All you have to do is wander throughout Israel.  All you have to do is take that helicopter ride the entire length of the fence.  All you have to do is just look at the map.  All you had to is set foot at Yad Vashem -— and you understand. 

I’ve had the great privilege of knowing every Israeli Prime Minister since Golda Meir and more than just casually.  And I’ve worked with many of you in this room for up to 40 years.  You know me.  You raised me.  You educated me.  And I know you. 

So believe me when I tell you:  It’s not only personal to me, it’s personal to President Obama, as well.  The President was raised with memories of his great-uncle, who marched with Patton’s Army to liberate Jewish prisoners from the horrors of Buchenwald.  As a young man, he grew up learning about Israel from the stories of Leon Uris’ in “Exodus”; the Six-Day War; and Moshe Dayan, with his eye patch and his courage.  I remember sitting in front of Golda Meir’s desk as she flipped those maps up and down, chain-smoking, talking about the losses of the Six-Day War, sitting next to her military attaché at the time, a guy named Rabin.

But Barack, as a young senator -- being 19 years younger than I am, he heard about it.  He read about it.  As senator, Barack Obama went to a small town in southern Israel to see with his own eyes the lives of the families who live under threat of rockets -– families that he has helped protect as Commander-in-Chief, under Iron Dome. 

As President, he stood in Jerusalem, and declared to the whole world, “Those who adhere to the ideology of rejecting Israel’s right to exist, they might as well reject the earth beneath them or the sky above, because Israel is not going anywhere.  So long as the United States of America is there, Israel will never be alone.”  (Applause.)  He means it.  He means it.  You know I mean it.  I’m telling you he means it.

That’s my President.  He understands the need for Israel to have the right and the capacity and the capability to defend itself.  At the same time, he says, “we have Israel’s back” -- and you can count on it.

The same commitment to the survival and security of Israel is fundamental to our strategy for the entire Middle East.  And then we get into the controversial piece.  Iran.  Remember this is the President who made it for the first time in American history a declared policy of the United States to use all the instruments of our power to prevent -— not contain, prevent –- Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.  He stated that all options are on the table -— then he made sure of what did not exist before.  He made sure we spent the time and money and the research to develop the capacity required to act against their capacity to develop a weapon if ever needed.

Over the skepticism of many, we worked with the U.S. Congress, our European allies, and Russia, China, to put in place the toughest sanctions regime in modern history.

We also knew the cost of not negotiating.  Midway through the last administration, the U.S. government refused to directly engage.  It insisted at the same time that Iran dismantle its entire program.

The result?  By the time President Bush left office, Iran had dramatically advanced its movement toward ability to acquire a nuclear weapon.  So we’ve taken a different approach, combining unprecedented pressure with direct diplomacy to find an enduring solution. 

Negotiations began.  And we’ve come a long way.  And you’ve all seen the parameters that were put forward.  It’s a framework, only a framework -- not a final deal.  A great deal of work lies ahead to see if Iran will actually enshrine the commitments that went into that framework as part of a final deal.

If they do, each of Iran’s paths to a bomb would be meaningfully and verifiably blocked.  Iran would cut its enrichment capacity by two-thirds; shrink its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent.  Breakout time to create a weapon’s worth of bomb-grade material will go from two to three months, which it is today, to over a year.

The deal would ensure at least a one-year breakout cushion for a decade.  And for years after that, the breakout time would continue to be longer than it exists today.

We’ll prevent the Arak reactor from ever being a source of plutonium for nuclear weapons.  We will put in place the toughest transparency and verification requirements in history -— providing the best possible check against a secret path to the bomb.

This isn’t a grand bargain between the United States and Iran.  It’s a nuclear bargain between Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, the EU, America and Iran.  It’s based on hard-hitting, hard-headed, uncompromising assessments of what is required to protect ourselves, Israel, the region, and the world.

And if the final deal on the table that doesn’t meet the President’s requirements, we simply will not sign it.  

A final deal must effectively cut off Iran’s pathways to the bomb.  If it doesn’t, no deal.

A final deal must ensure a breakout timeline at least for one year for a decade.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

A final deal must include phased sanctions relief, calibrated against Iran taking meaningful steps to constrain their program.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

A final deal must provide a verifiable assurance to the international community demands to ensure Iran’s program is exclusively peaceful going forward.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

And if Iran cheats at any time and goes for a nuclear weapon –- every option we have to respond today remains on the table.  And your military will tell you, and more.

I’ve been involved in arms control negotiations since I was a kid in the Senate at 30 years of age -- every major SALT agreement, START agreement, and toward the end, I was deeply involved negotiating when Brezhnev was still around, leading a delegation of senators.  But just like arms control talks with the Soviet Union —- another regime we fundamentally disagreed with, another regime whose rhetoric was outrageous and unacceptable, another regime whose proxies were forcefully making trouble, and we forcefully countered around the world –- we negotiated to reduce the nuclear threat to prevent a nuclear war.  And it kept us safer.  That’s what we’re attempting to do today.

We also continue to agree with Israeli leaders going back decades –- from Rabin to Sharon, whose funeral I had the great honor of eulogizing –- that a two-state solution is essential to Israel’s long-term survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people.   Consistent with our commitment to Israel’s security and survival, the United States stands ready to help Israel decide -- if they decide -- how to get there and if they want our help in getting there.

I’ll always remember what my friend and mentor, and Holocaust survivor who worked for me as my national security advisor before he became Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos once said.  He said, “the veneer of civilization is paper thin.  We are its guardians and can never rest.”

That’s why we must never retreat from fighting every scourge and source of anti-Semitism as we find it.  You see, in too many places where legitimate criticism crosses over into bigotry and anti-Semitism; where an explicitly anti-Semitic attack takes place at a kosher grocery store; assaults on religious Jews in the streets of major European capitals.  Some of you may remember how harshly I was criticized as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee over 15 years ago when I held hearings on anti-Semitism in Europe.  Emerson said, society is like a wave, the wave moves on, but the particles remain the same.  Wherever, in whatever country, whatever circumstance it rears its head, we have to stop it. 

Enough is enough.   We have to fight it everywhere we find it. 

I’ll conclude -- and my friends kid me and I imagine Ron may, as well -- telling you the story about my meeting with Golda Meir.  The reason I do it had a profound impact on me, one of the most consequential meetings I’ve ever had in my life.  I think I’ve met every major world leader in the last 36 or 37 years in the world, in a literal sense.

But I remember meeting for close to an hour with her.  She went through what happened in the Six-Day War, and the price that was paid.  And I just had come from Egypt.  They let me go to Egypt and go to the Suez Canal.  And I was saying to she and Rabin that I thought that they were getting ready to attack again.  And everyone including my military and Israeli military thought I was crazy.

I remember driving from Cairo all the way to out to the Suez.  And you could see these great plumes of dust and sand.  But none it seemed isolated.  It turns out it was maneuvers taking place in the desert.  And I was really worried.  And we went through, and she painted a bleak, bleak picture -- scared the hell out of me, quite frankly, about the odds. 

And all of a sudden she looked at and she said, would you like a photograph?  And I said, yes, ma’am.  And those double-blind doors opened up into that hallway -- not hallway.  It looks like -- it’s a foyer.  And we walked out, and the press was standing there.  We didn't say anything.  We just stood side by side.  And she must have thought I looked worried.  And it’s an absolutely true story.  She didn't look at me, she spoke to me.  She said, Senator, you look so worried.  I said, well, my God, Madam Prime Minister, and I turned to look at her.  I said, the picture you paint.  She said, oh, don't worry.  We have -- I thought she only said this to me.  She said, we have a secret weapon in our conflict with the Arabs.  You see, we have no place else to do.

I was criticized in the national press a couple weeks ago when I said that, in fact, every Jew in the world needs there to be an Israel.  And it was characterized by some of the conservative press as saying that I was implying Jews weren’t safe in America.  They don't get it.  They don't get it.  Israel, Israel is absolutely essential -- absolutely essential -- security of Jews around the world.  And that's why you have never farmed out your security.  You’ve accepted all the help we could give.  The most admirable thing about you is you’ve never asked us to fight for you.  But I promise you, if you were attacked and overwhelmed, we would fight for you, in my view.  (Applause.)

The truth of the matter is we need you.  The world needs you.  Imagine what it would say about humanity and the future of the 21st century if Israel were not sustained, vibrant and free.

We’ll never stop working to ensure that Jews from around the world always have somewhere to go.  We’ll never stop working to make sure Israel has a qualitative edge.  And whomever the next President is -- Republican or Democrat -- it will be the same because the American people, the American people are committed.  The America people understand. 

So I say happy birthday, Israel.  Happy Independence Day.  May God bless you and may God bless and protect the United States of America.  Thank you all so very much.  (Applause.)

END
7:52 P.M. EDT

Remarks by The First Lady at Joining Forces Employment Event

Micron Technologies
Manassas, Virginia

2:07 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Good afternoon, everyone.  (Applause.)  I see we have some “Take Our Daughters To Work” people here.  (Laughter.)  Yay for taking our daughters to work!  (Applause.) 

Let me start by thanking April, as well as Tamika, for that wonderful, very kind introduction, and for her outstanding service to our country.  I also want to thank everyone here at Micron for hosting us today, and for letting us destroy your factory -- (laughter) -- as well as all the business owners, the government leaders, and, of course, our veterans and military families who have joined us for this event.

And before I go any further, there is somebody I just want to take a moment to recognize from my team, and that is Colonel Steve Parker.  Where is Steve Parker?  (Applause.)  Yes, I’m going to embarrass you for a moment.  Steve is in the back of the room. 

Steve has been our Executive Director for Joining Forces for the past year.  We only get our executive directors for a short period of time, and it’s always amazing how much they can accomplish in a year.  But unfortunately, Steve is going to be leaving us at the end of the month for an assignment at the National Defense University.  He’s been such a terrific leader on this initiative.  He is a funny guy.  He’s warm.  (Laughter.)  He’s one of the few men in my office, so he takes a lot of ribbing, but he does it with good humor.  (Laughter.) 

So we’re going to really be sad to see him go.  But we wish Steve -- Steve, we wish you the best, as well as your wife and your beautiful kids.  And come and see us, all right?  Let’s give Steve a round of applause.  Thank you, Steve.  Great job.  (Applause.)

So today is a little bittersweet, but I’m still very excited to be here today because this month, as you know, we’re celebrating the fourth anniversary of Joining Forces. 

Now, when Jill Biden and I launched this initiative, we did it because of the veterans and military families we were meeting all across the country –- folks like many of you here today, servicemembers who step up every time our country calls, veterans who continue to give back long after they hang up that uniform, and of course, our military spouses and our military kids who serve bravely right alongside of their loved ones. 

So we issued a call to people all across the country.  We challenged folks to ask themselves one simple question:  “What can I do to honor these families who have given us so much?”  And we were overwhelmed by the response we received.  Everyone stepped up. 

The medical community stepped up to take care of mental health issues.  Hundreds of mayors committed to end veteran homelessness in their cities.  Schools have reached out to our military children.  And Americans of all walks of life have served their communities in honor of our military families. 

On issue after issue, we have seen people across this country line up to support these families.  And that’s especially true when it comes to the issue of employment.

Now, it’s easy to lose sight of how far we’ve come since we launched Let’s Move -- Joining Forces -- (laughter) -- I’m here today.  (Laughter.)  Really, I’m here.  But we launched Joining Forces in 2011, but that year that we launched, the unemployment rate for our 9/11 generation of veterans was more than 12 percent.  And for our youngest veterans, it was far worse -– almost one in three who wanted to work couldn’t find work. 

So we knew we had a crisis on our hands.  And that’s why, just a few months after we launched Joining Forces, my husband challenged the private sector to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses.  And it was a big goal, but we were determined to meet it.

So we sat down with companies in every sector all across the country.  I spoke to the CEOs of the nation’s largest companies at the Business Roundtable.  And everywhere we went, we told folks about the skill and the character and the resilience that define our veterans and military spouses.  And then more -- as the businesses learned more about these amazing men and women, the more eager they were to hire them.  And soon enough, they were telling us about how veterans and spouses were excelling in their companies; how they were getting promotion after promotion and inspiring their colleagues with their talent and with their determination. 

So companies were seeing for themselves that hiring these our military members and our spouses wasn’t simply the patriotic thing to do, it was the right thing to do for their bottom line.  And today, less than four years later, I am proud to announce that America’s businesses have continued to race past my husband’s initial goal, and together, those businesses who answered the President’s call have hired or trained more than 850,000 veterans and military spouses -- outstanding.  (Applause.) 

And that number comes on top of the hiring that we’ve done in the federal government.  Right now, about 30 percent of the federal workforce is made up of veterans.  And in part because of those efforts, altogether, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans has fallen by almost five points.  And for those youngest veterans, it’s been cut by almost half from its peak. 

So this is an amazing accomplishment.  It really is.  And I am so grateful to everyone across this country who made it possible, many of whom were working to hire our veterans long before we launched Joining Forces. 

So we should all take a moment today to sit back and feel good about what we’ve achieved together.  But we should only sit back for a moment, because we know that there is so much work left to do, and that includes connecting our vets not just with any job, but with good jobs –- jobs you can raise a family on, the kind of high-growth jobs of the future.

And that’s one of the reasons why I’m here today, because we know sectors like technology and energy are driving our economic growth.  These are industries full of good, high-paying positions where our vets can continue to thrive for years and even decades to come.  So once again, we reached out to companies throughout these industries and asked what they could do for our veterans and spouses, and they stepped up to answer the call.

And today, I’m thrilled to announce a series of wonderful commitments to hire or train a total of 90,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years from these industries.  We’ve got some of the biggest names in tech –- companies like CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle.  We’ve got folks from renewable energy, our national energy labs, and the Energy Facility Contractors Group.  We’ve got folks from other industries as well -– utility companies, our transportation section [sector].  And so many more have stepped up.

Now, these companies know that many of the jobs they’re hiring for require specialized training, so in many cases, they’re not just hiring these veterans, they’re actually partnering with a variety of educational institutions to create internships and apprenticeships and job-training programs.  That’s what they’re doing here at Micron. 

Micron is one of the world’s largest producers of memory storage devices –- I got to see some of the cool stuff upstairs.  It’s very cool.  (Laughter.)  I hope you saw it.  It’s cool, for all the daughters going to work.  They make many of the microchips and other products that connect us through our computers and cellphones and our other devices.  But before they can create these wonderful products, they need to hire smart, skilled folks of all -- for all sorts of positions.  And they know that there’s no one better to have on their team than a veteran.
 
So Micron is participating in a pilot program through the Northern Virginia Technology Council that matches student veterans at local universities and community colleges to 50 high-tech companies throughout the area.  So the veterans get hands-on experience, and the companies connect with a pipeline of top-notch talent. 

And this is just one of the many win-win partnerships happening all across the country.  The solar industry offers another example.  That sector is adding jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy.  And that’s why, earlier this month, my husband announced a significant expansion of our successful pilot program to train transitioning servicemembers for careers in solar jobs.  And today, solar companies are doing their part to make sure that there’s a job waiting for those vets when they leave the military -- the Solar Energy Industries Association is pledging to hire or train 33,000 veterans and spouses over the next five years. 

Now, because the vast majority of these solar companies are small or medium-size businesses, many of their commitments are smaller -- a few hundred, maybe even a few dozen hires.  Small business commitments like these are happening not just in solar, but in manufacturing and tech, and so many other industries.  And the great thing about these smaller commitments is that when you add them all up, even if it’s just a handful of employees, they can have a huge collective impact.  As we’re seeing today, altogether, these small companies are planning to hire tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses. 

So today, I want to call on all companies across our country -– companies in every industry and of every shape and size –- to do their part to provide even more opportunities for our military families. 

I want you to keep asking yourselves that same question we posed four years ago:  “What can I do to give back to our veterans and their families?”  Can you make a commitment, or another commitment if you’ve already made one, to hire more veterans and military spouses?  Can you partner with a local school or veterans service organization on job-training opportunities?  There are so many ways you can make a difference, whether you’re a multinational name-brand, or a startup that’s just getting off the ground.

I want to use the example of a veteran I just met today, Wayne Stilwell.  Now, Wayne was in the Army for 26 years, serving in Bosnia and Desert Storm, before he retired in 2013.  And his specialty was military simulations -– the high-tech computer programs that we use to train our troops in the field.  While he was in the Army, he earned degrees in business, industrial engineering, and he even earned a PhD in systems engineering. 

So when he hung up his uniform, he launched a startup called Stilwell Technology and Robotics, where he’s designing software to help robots work together to do a physical task, anything from helping senior citizens get out of bed, to providing security at a schoolyard, or managing the harvest of an entire field of crops.  Right now, his business is still in the early stages.  He’s got three part-time employees and a team of nine paid interns -- and he’s not yet taking a salary for himself. 

But that’s not stopping Wayne from giving back to his fellow veterans.  Starting this summer, he’s committing to bring on at least one veteran as an intern and hire one veteran as a full-time employee within a year.  And he’s doing this because he knows that these are exactly the kind of folks he needs to help grow his business.  And he wants to give them that hands-on experience they’ll need to grow a business of their own someday. 
And this is something that we see again and again -- veterans are constantly reaching out to other veterans.  They’re training each other.  They’re mentoring each other.  They’re hiring each other. 

So all those veterans and military spouses we’ve already hired across the country, I mean, just think about it -- who knows how many other veterans or spouses they’ve helped?  Who knows the kind of new ideas and relationships and experiences they’re bringing to the table every day?

That’s the kind of ripple effect that hiring even just one veteran can have for you, your company, and ultimately, for our country.  So essentially, that’s my message for businesses across America today.  We can do more.  And more is needed.

But I want to thank all of the business leaders here today for leading the way by committing to the men and women who have worn our uniform.  You all are a shining example of what is possible. 

And to all the troops, veterans and spouses who are here with us today, I just want to thank you.  I can’t thank you enough, this nation can’t thank you enough for your service.  Because what you do is rare.  What you do is needed.  What you do is special.  And I want you to know that we’re nowhere near the finish line.  We are not done.  Joining Forces is a long-term commitment to you and to your families, and we’re going to do whatever we can to serve you as well as you’ve served us.

So thank you all.  We are proud of you.  We’re proud of the work that’s going on here and in companies across this country.  And let’s just keep it up.

You all, thank you so much.  And God bless.  (Applause.)

END  
2:23 P.M. EDT

Statement by the President on the Deaths of Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

10:05 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  This morning, I want to express our grief and condolences to the families of two hostages.  One American, Dr. Warren Weinstein, and an Italian, Giovanni Lo Porto, who were tragically killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation.

Warren and Giovanni were aid workers in Pakistan devoted to improving the lives of the Pakistani people.  After Warren was abducted by al Qaeda in 2011, I directed my national security team to do everything possible to find him and to bring him home safely to his family.  And dedicated professionals across our government worked tirelessly to do so.  We also worked closely with our Italian allies on behalf of Giovanni, who was kidnapped in 2012. 

Since 9/11, our counterterrorism efforts have prevented terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives both here in America, and around the world.  And that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us.  Based on information and intelligence we have obtained, we believe that a U.S. counterterrorism operation targeting an al Qaeda compound in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region accidently killed Warren and Giovanni this past January.

Yesterday, I spoke with Warren’s wife Elaine and Prime Minister Renzi of Italy.  As a husband and as a father, I cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the Weinstein and Lo Porto families are enduring today.  I realize that there are no words that can ever equal their loss.  I know that there is nothing that I can ever say or do to ease their heartache.  And today, I simply want to say this:

As President and as Commander-in-Chief, I take full responsibility for all our counterterrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of Warren and Giovanni.  I profoundly regret what happened.  On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families. 

As soon as we determined the cause of their deaths, I directed that the existence of this operation be declassified and disclosed publicly.  I did so because the Weinstein and Lo Porto families deserve to know the truth.  And I did so because even as certain aspects of our national security efforts have to remain secret in order to succeed, the United States is a democracy committed to openness in good times and in bad.

Our initial assessment indicates that this operation was fully consistent with the guidelines under which we conduct counterterrorism efforts in the region, which has been our focus for years because it is the home of al Qaeda’s leadership.  And based on the intelligence that we had obtained at the time, including hundreds of hours of surveillance, we believed that this was an al Qaeda compound; that no civilians were present; and that capturing these terrorists was not possible.  And we do believe that the operation did take out dangerous members of al Qaeda.  What we did not know, tragically, is that al Qaeda was hiding the presence of Warren and Giovanni in this same compound.

It is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally and our fight against terrorists specifically, mistakes -- sometimes deadly mistakes -- can occur.  But one of the things that sets America apart from many other nations, one of the things that makes us exceptional is our willingness to confront squarely our imperfections and to learn from our mistakes. 

Already, I have directed a full review of what happened.  We will identify the lessons that can be learned from this tragedy, and any changes that should be made.  We will do our utmost to ensure it is not repeated.  And we will continue to do everything we can to prevent the loss of innocent lives -- not just innocent Americans, but all innocent lives in our counterterrorism operations. 

Today we join their families and friends in honoring Warren and Giovanni -- two humanitarians who came from different countries but who were united by a spirit of service.  For decades, Warren lived the ideals of our country, serving with the Peace Corps and later with the United States Agency for International Development.  He devoted his life to people across Africa and South Asia.  He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who willingly left the comforts of home to help the people of Pakistan.  At the time of his abduction, he was a USAID contractor focused on helping Pakistani families escape poverty and give a better life to their children. 

Giovanni’s humanitarianism also took him around the world to the Central African Republic, to Haiti and ultimately Pakistan.  Like Warren, he fell in love with Pakistan and its people, and believed passionately that he could made a difference in their lives.  Giovanni’s service reflected the commitment of the Italian people, our great allies and friends, to the security and dignity of people around the world.  And today is a reminder of the bonds of friendship between our countries and the shared values that bind Americans and Italians together.

There could be no starker contrast between these two selfless men and their al Qaeda captors.  Warren’s work benefited people across faiths.  Meanwhile, al Qaeda boasted to the world that it held Warren, citing his Jewish faith.  Al Qaeda held both men for years, even as Warren’s health deteriorated.  They deprived these men of precious, irreplaceable years with family who missed them terribly. 

Amid grief that is unimaginable, I pray that these two families will find some small measure of solace in knowing that Warren and Giovanni’s legacy will endure.  Their service will be remembered by the Pakistani men, women and children whose lives they touched and made better.  Their spirit will live on in the love of their families, who are in our thoughts and prayers today, especially Warren’s wife Elaine, their daughters Alisa and Jennifer, and their families. 

And the shining example of these two men will stand as a light to people the world over who see suffering and answer with compassion, who see hatred and offer their love, who see war and work for peace. 

May God bless these two brave men, and may He watch over and comfort their families for all the years to come.

END
10:13 A.M. EDT