The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 17, 2014

Statement by the President on Ukraine

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

10:45 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  In recent months, as the citizens of Ukraine have made their voices heard, we have been guided by a fundamental principle -- the future of Ukraine must be decided by the people of Ukraine.  That means Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and international law must be upheld.

And so, Russia’s decision to send troops into Crimea has rightly drawn global condemnation.  From the start, the United States has mobilized the international community in support of Ukraine to isolate Russia for its actions and to reassure our allies and partners.  We saw this international unity again over the weekend, when Russia stood alone in the U.N. Security Council defending its actions in Crimea.  And as I told President Putin yesterday, the referendum in Crimea was a clear violation of Ukrainian constitutions and international law, and it will not be recognized by the international community.

Today, I’m announcing a series of measures that will continue to increase the cost on Russia and on those responsible for what is happening in Ukraine.  First, as authorized by the executive order I signed two weeks ago, we are imposing sanctions on specific individuals responsible for undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity and government of Ukraine.  We’re making it clear that there are consequences for their actions.

Second, I have signed a new executive order that expands the scope of our sanctions.  As an initial step, I’m authorizing sanctions on Russian officials -- entities operating in the arms sector in Russia and individuals who provide material support to senior officials of the Russian government.  And if Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions.

Third, we’re continuing our close consultations with our European partners, who today in Brussels moved ahead with their own sanctions against Russia.  Tonight, Vice President Biden departs for Europe, where he will meet with the leaders of our NATO allies -- Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  And I’ll be traveling to Europe next week.  Our message will be clear.  As NATO allies, we have a solemn commitment to our collective defense, and we will uphold this commitment.

Fourth, we’ll continue to make clear to Russia that further provocations will achieve nothing except to further isolate Russia and diminish its place in the world.  The international community will continue to stand together to oppose any violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and continued Russian military intervention in Ukraine will only deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation and exact a greater toll on the Russian economy.

Going forward, we can calibrate our response based on whether Russia chooses to escalate or to de-escalate the situation.  Now, I believe there’s still a path to resolve this situation diplomatically in a way that addresses the interest of both Russia and Ukraine.  That includes Russia pulling its forces in Crimea back to their bases, supporting the deployment of additional international monitors in Ukraine, and engaging in dialogue with the Ukrainian government, which has indicated its openness to pursuing constitutional reform as they move forward towards elections this spring.

But throughout this process, we’re going to stand firm in our unwavering support for Ukraine.  As I told Prime Minister Yatsenyuk last week, the United States stands with the people of Ukraine and their right to determine their own destiny.  We’re going to keep working with Congress and our international partners to offer Ukraine the economic support that it needs to weather this crisis and to improve the daily lives of the Ukrainian people.

And as we go forward, we’ll continue to look at the range of ways we can help our Ukrainian friends achieve their universal rights and the security, prosperity and dignity that they deserve.  Thanks very much.  And Jay, I think, will be available for questions.  Thank you.

END
10:49 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2014

Remarks by President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Prime Minister Kenny of Ireland at St. Patrick's Day Reception

East Room

5:12 P.M. EDT
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, everyone, how are you?  Welcome to the White House.  (Applause.)  And happy St. Patrick’s Day Week. 
 
In 1963, President Kennedy addressed the Irish Parliament and he said, and I quote, “Our two nations, divided by distance, have been united by history.”  And that is obvious to every one of you in this room today.  And nothing exemplifies that bond more than this building.  It was designed by an Irishman named James Hoban -- Hoban.  Any Hobans in the room?  (Laughter.)  I lived across the street from a guy named Johnny Hoban -- anyway, it’s a long story.  (Laughter.)  And it’s been occupied by 19 Presidents of Irish descent -- (applause) -- and the remaining were despondent they could not make that claim.
 
So it’s wonderful to be here today in the White House with all of you.  And I’m reminded of a New Yorker article that Pat Moynihan, God bless him, put on my desk on a St. Patrick’s Day back in the early ’90s.  There was a New Yorker article that had Pat and Mike sitting in a pub in New York, and Pat looks at Mike and says, “Mike, don’t you wish you were in Dublin in a pub wishing you were in New York?”  (Laughter.)  At least the Irish Catholic family I came from, that’s kind of it.  (Applause.)  As I said today, we Irish are the only people I know who are nostalgic about the future.  (Laughter.)  Think about that; you’ll know it’s true.
 
So my mom, who passed away a couple of years ago, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden -- used to say -- and I mean this sincerely -- her notion was, she said, Joey, to be Irish is about family, it’s about faith, but most of all, it’s about courage, for without courage, you cannot love with abandon.  And I think that’s one of the defining elements of -- that’s the Irish of it, that passion that built both our nations and continues to run through the bloodstream of all Irish Americans. 
 
The history of the journey of this great country, in my view, has always been about promise -- the promise that anything is possible.  It’s about possibilities.  And Barack and I -- the President and I occasionally talk about that.  We’re both here in the White House, coming from where we came from -- the idea that would happen in any other country is unlikely.
 
You know, no one embodies the possibilities and promise of our two nations like the leaders you’re about to hear from.  There’s an old Irish expression:  A good friend is like a four-leaf clover -- hard to find and lucky to have.  Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you four of my good friends -- and I mean that seriously -- the President of the United States and Michelle Obama, and the Taoiseach and Fionnuala Kenny.  (Applause.)
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, everybody.  (Applause.)  We'll, welcome to the White House.  (Applause.)  Once again, today is not technically St. Patrick’s Day.  (Laughter.)  And once again, none of you seem particularly bothered by this.  (Laughter.)  At least you’ll have a weekend to recover.  (Laughter.)
 
I want to start by welcoming Taoiseach Kenny and his lovely wife, Fionnuala, who are not just joining us here today, but more importantly, bringing their children.  And we won’t embarrass them by pointing them out.  (Laughter.)  But we’re thrilled to have them here.  I’m especially grateful that they’re here at a time when the rest of Ireland is focused on the final round of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament.  (Applause.)  And the last match of the legendary Brian O’Driscoll.  (Applause.)  I know everyone wants to talk to the Kennys tonight, but let me make sure they have plenty of voice left to cheer on Ireland tomorrow.
 
Finally, I want to extend a special welcome to Anne Anderson, the newest Ambassador of Ireland to the United States.  (Applause.)  Anne is the first woman to hold this esteemed position -- (applause) -- which means that they might finally get it right.  (Laughter.)  
 
One of Ireland’s greatest poets, Patrick Kavanagh, once wrote, “When I wandered over my own hills and talked again to my own people, I looked into the heart of this life and saw that it was good.”  That’s what St. Patrick’s Day is all about.  It’s about remembering the hills from where so many of us came and the people without whom so many of us would not be here today.  And it is about recognizing how much we owe to the Irish men and women who, to borrow a line from James Joyce, lived and laughed and loved and left.

It’s also about appreciating how much of our American character has Irish roots.  When the first large wave of Irish immigrants set sail for the New World, many of them were already tired, hungry and desperately poor.  And life wasn’t always easier in America.  Many jobs were closed to Irish immigrants -- with signs announcing “No Irish Need Apply” -- and many of the ones that were available involved long and dirty and thankless tasks that made life difficult and often too short.  
 
But the Irish worked hard.  And they persevered.  And they supported each other in tight-knit communities, united by faith, where doors were always open and hands were always extended in hard times.  Or, to adapt a quote from the author Finley Peter Dunne, there wasn’t one struggling family in this world that wasn’t carrying three others on its back.  And together, they were driven by that most American of ideas -- that with enough effort, anybody can build a decent life for their families and leave a better life for their children. 
 
And eventually, that’s exactly what happened.  In Newburyport, Massachusetts in the early 20th century, two-thirds of Irish-Americans were members of the working class, just one third in the middle class.  But if you looked at the third generation alone -- the grandchildren of Irish immigrants -- the numbers were reversed.  A majority had broken into the middle class.
 
So the American Dream has always been the Irish-American Dream.  And that’s why so many of you have been working with us to fix our broken immigration system.  Under today’s laws, many of your parents and grandparents may not have made it here.  And too many men and women who want to contribute to our economy are being denied that chance.  There’s no reason why we can’t do for this generation of immigrants what was done for a previous generation, to give them that chance.  (Applause.)
 
Because like millions of immigrants, the sons and daughters of Erin have always lived by the words of the great Seamus Heaney, who passed away last year: “Believe that further shore is reachable from here.  Believe in miracles.” 
 
And before the G8 summit last June, Michelle and I got a chance to visit Belfast.  We saw firsthand the tremendous progress that’s been made in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement was signed 16 years ago, as well as the long road that still lies ahead. 
 
And before my speech at the Waterfront, Michelle was introduced by a 16-year-old girl named Hannah Nelson.  (Applause.)  And Hannah is here -- there she is, right there. Hey, Hannah.  Hannah is a member of the first generation of Northern Irish to grow up knowing the possibilities of peace.  (Applause.)  And in her introduction she said, “Often in Northern Ireland we hear about our past…But truthfully, we should not let the past pull us apart and stop us moving forward…We need to listen to each other and we need to compromise.  Most importantly, we need to clearly value each other.” 
 
And so if Hannah and that generation reflects such wisdom, I think their elders, all of us, need to pay attention, follow their advice.  Young people like Hannah give us hope for the future because they’re driven by the same optimism, the same belief in miracles that drove their ancestors.  But they also benefit from something that didn’t exist for members of the previous generation -- and that’s a hard-won peace that is theirs to nurture and advance.  They have an example of what’s possible.
 
So, to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland, I’ll close by paraphrasing Seamus Heaney again.  The Ireland you now inhabit is one that your contemporaries have helped imagine.  But the Ireland that you will inhabit is one your children are helping to build -- one that’s more just, and more peaceful, and more tolerant, and more fair.
 
And with that, I want to propose a toast.  And I’m going to -- this is the best that I can do -- water.  (Laughter.)  Clearly, they had the wrong day.  (Laughter.)  May our children continue to enjoy the bonds we share tonight -- of family, faith, friendship, and hope for the future.  “So fill to me the parting glass; Good night and joy be with you all.”
 
And now it is my pleasure to introduce my good friend, Taoiseach Kenny.  (Applause.)
 
PRIME MINISTER KENNY: (Speaks in Gaelic.)  Welcome, everybody, here to the White House.  Mr. President and First Lady Michelle, Mr. Vice President, Dr. Biden, ladies and gentlemen:  Fionnuala and I are delighted to be with you here at the White House to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick.  Thank you for your warm hospitality in honor of Ireland and of the Irish people. 
 
Thank you for the toast, Mr. President.  I didn’t think that austerity was biting that far into the White House.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
As we make strides in our own economic recovery, it is wonderful to know that our country still occupies such a special place in the heart and the mind of the United States of America. 
 
Mr. President, in June last year, we met at the G8 summit in Fermanagh.  Next day, Dublin came out with a warm summer welcome for Michelle and Malia and Sasha.  And tonight, sir, I just want to make something very clear:  I have heard what I regard the insider speculation surrounding your attributed desire to keep your Vice President off our island has been wholly without foundation.  (Laughter.)  And at the same time, summoning the persuasive spirit of St. Patrick, I did put in a word for Joe this morning -- (laughter.)  His work is invaluable.  His listening ear is critical.  Thank you, Mr. President, for authorizing him to travel to Ireland.  (Applause.)  We have a golf date. 
 
So I look forward to welcoming him home with Jill to the land of our forebears, to the land of his people and of our people, together, as we say, Oileán ár sinsear -- the island of our ancestors -- where five million of us live, and 70 million call home.  And home and our sense of it is what makes us who we are as Irish people.
 
Just as the Forbes Magazine recently was declaring Ireland to be the best country in the world for business, out there in the Atlantic east of here, storms Hercules and Darwin were making a declaration of their own, through the awesome power of nature, gifting us remnants of Neolithic settlements, ghosts of drowned oak forests, 7,000-years-old remnants uncovered on our beaches and land near sea.
 
So, Mr. President, these are excavations not just of our history, but of life on our island, the geology of our heart.  And they signal our tradition and our capacity to endure and to adapt, to survive and to thrive; to know fear, to know loss, and yet to conscript new generations to courage and vision and a brilliant future across the millenia. 
 
That’s why, today, we have the most adaptable workforce in the world and the youngest workforce in the European Union.  That’s why in no other country in the world do U.S. multinationals and U.S. emerging companies have as big a presence as they have in our country. 
 
And according to the received wisdom of it’s not being enough to do well but to do good, so I’m proud to say that despite our difficulties, we are the most generous people in Europe in our giving to those in need, and every day since the United Nations was founded, the Irish are somewhere on the globe involved in peacekeeping or humanitarian duties.  And as we are, Mr. President, we are ever mindful of the kindness that America, in turn, has shown to us and to our people.
 
This evening, as we celebrate St. Patrick, who was himself an immigrant, Mr. President, I am heartened by your words, and I thank you for all you are doing and others in this great country are doing to help our men and women living here undocumented.  We know America will sort this out.  (Applause.) 
 
I’m thrilled you mentioned young Hannah.  I saw her deliver her words last year on television -- congratulations.  And from you to Mark Pollack, whom I see here in front of me, without sight, without the capability of walking, yet he has done extraordinary things in a sense of his vision and his courage of what we can do with our shared humanity.  (Applause.)
 
So, sir, as we take our leave here this evening, we do remember absent friends whom you’ve mentioned -- in particular, he who documented the dream -- the farmer’s son, the known blood relative of the gods, Seamus Heaney.  And in his memory, and in honor of St. Patrick, let us do as he asks when he said, go beyond what’s reliable and recollect how bold you were when I visited you first, with departures you cannot go back on.
 
So, Mr. President, First Lady, Ireland has made its departure.  There is no going back.  Tonight, then, let our two nations, our two countries, Ireland and the United States, heed and live the last words of Seamus Heaney texted to his wife before he left, “Noli timere,” “Do not be afraid.” 
 
Thank you.  (Applause.) 
 
END
5:29 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady at The Partnership for a Healthier America’s Building a Healthier Future Summit

Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

1:41 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Yay to everyone!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  You all, rest yourselves.  It is a pleasure to be here with all of you today. 

Let me start by thanking Larry, not just for his very kind introduction but for his outstanding leadership at PHA, as well as the entire staff of PHA, the board, Jim Gavin -- all of you deserve a huge round of applause for your outstanding work.  I’m so proud of you all.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  PHA is doing critically important work to engage partners across the private sector, and over the past two days we’ve seen the fruits of their efforts.

And I am thrilled about the extraordinary commitments that have been announced at this summit, so I want to take a moment to recognize Dannon, Del Monte, Knowledge Universe, Kwik Trip, Nutri Ventures, and Sodexo.  So let’s give them another huge round of applause.  (Applause.)  These are major steps to making sure our families can lead healthier lives, and we are extremely grateful.

And of course, I want to thank all of you, the advocates and experts who’ve been working on the issue of childhood obesity long before it came into the national spotlight.  You all are truly our brain trust on this issue.  You know better than anyone where we’ve been and where we need to go.  And that’s really what I want to talk about today.  I want to talk about how much we’ve achieved, but more importantly, how much more we have left to do.

So let’s start with the good news:  Because of what we have all done together, today, 32 million kids are getting healthier school meals.  Tens of thousands of schools are removing junk food ads from their classroom.  Fifteen thousand childcare centers will be providing healthier snacks and getting those cute little kids up and moving.  Food and beverage companies have cut 6.4 trillion calories from their products.  We will soon have better nutrition labels on 700,000 food items.  Hundreds of new or renovated grocery stores are reaching millions of people in underserved communities -- I could go on.  These are just a few of the highlights.  Absolutely amazing.  (Applause.) 

And today, slowly but surely, healthy habits are becoming the new norm in this country.  Today, according to a recent CDC report that I know you have all discussed, obesity rates have fallen by 43 percent among children ages two to five years old.  And I think we should all be very proud of what we are achieving together, because in a fight this hard, we should celebrate every small victory we can get. 

But that’s really what the CDC report represents.  Yes, it is an important achievement, but in light of the magnitude of this challenge, it is a small achievement.  It’s just a hint of the progress that’s possible on this issue.  So it is a very good thing that we have got so much momentum right now, because we still have a long way to go to solve this problem, particularly among our older children.

So now is not the time to take our foot off the gas and congratulate ourselves on a job well done -- just the opposite.  Now is the time to fight even harder, because we now know it is possible to make a difference on this issue.  We know that our strategies are beginning to work. 

So through Let’s Move, we plan to keep attacking this problem from every angle, because we know there is no one magic bullet.  So we plan to keep building healthier schools.  We plan to keep bringing fresh food into our communities.  We plan to keep urging businesses to provide healthy products and market them responsibly to our kids.  But we also need to keep innovating.  We need to keep pushing the envelope.  We need to find new ideas from every sector to help families make manageable, affordable changes that can transform our children’s health. 

And today, I just want to talk briefly to give an example of one of those changes.  It’s a simple idea which will be a key focus of Let’s Move over the next year, but it is an idea that can help families create healthier new habits.  And the idea is to help families start cooking again.

Now, I know this might not seem like an earth-shattering notion -- though neither was planting a garden in the White House, I will remind you.  (Laughter.)  But research clearly shows that home-cooking is one of the single most impactful ways for families to improve their health. 

One study shows that home-cooking is actually a better predictor of how well families eat than their income.  And that’s not surprising, because food prepared at home is lower in saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories than food prepared away from home.  Because when you cook at home, you’re in control of your nutrition.  You decide the ingredients to use.  You decide the portion sizes.  You decide whether there’s a vegetable on the plate or not.  

But unfortunately, for many families, home-cooking has fallen by the wayside.  And many folks feel like they just don’t have the time to cook, or they don’t know how.  Some think it’s more expensive to prepare balanced home-cooked meals, so they don’t do it.  But it hasn’t always been that way. 

See, back in the day -- for you young people, the day is, like, when I was young -- (laughter) -- folks used to cook all the time.  That was certainly true in my family growing up.  My mother had a strict food budget, and every Saturday she wrote out her list for the week, headed to the grocery down the street.  And she had every meal planned out for the week -– that roast beef for Sunday dinner would be sandwiches for Monday and Tuesday lunches.  Wednesday night was liver night -- it was a very sad night in our household, by the way.  (Laughter.)  Thursday might be spaghetti; Friday, fish.   And once in great a while, we’d order a pizza or pick up a burger at the drive-through, but we usually couldn’t afford to eat out so those were exceptions.

My grandmother had done the same thing for her family, and she worked full-time for most of her life.  See, back then, unless you were rich, cooking was a matter of survival.  It was a way of life.  But like a lot of folks in my generation, I found that by the time I grew up and went off to school and started my career, things had changed. 

I remember one Saturday afternoon as a young lawyer working crazy hours, I was talking to my grandmother over the phone, and the first thing she asked me, she said, “what are you cooking?”  I was like, “Grandma, really?  I am a lawyer.  I do not cook.”  (Laughter.) 

You see, my parents urged me to focus on my studies and career above all else.  They had worked hard to support my dreams, so they didn’t want me to worry about traditional things like cooking.  They felt like I could always learn to cook later.  And that was all well and good for a while, until I had a family of my own.

And I was fine when my kids were little, because we went from breastfeeding straight to what Barack and I called the “jar stage” -- when an entire meal for a baby came in a single jar.  Barack and I, we loved the “jar stage.”  (Laughter.)  We were masters of the “jar stage.”  Providing a balanced meal was so easy -- chicken and rice?  In a jar.  Peas and spinach?  Jar.  Peaches, bananas?  Jar -- big jar.  No need to cook, boil, bake, it was all there for us in those marvelous little baby food jars.  It was heaven. 

But then our babies outgrew the “jar stage,” and suddenly we were faced with the reality that we might actually have to use the appliances in our kitchen to feed our children.  And we slowly figured it out.  We started with the basics like broiled chicken and rice, and steamed broccoli, scrambled eggs -- that’s really all Barack would do, the eggs.  (Laughter.)  And we did our best to cook regularly at home.  But like so many working parents, we both had demanding jobs, we were always exhausted.  And over time, we started giving in and popping things into the microwave, or spending way too much of our monthly budget ordering takeout, which, in turn, resulted in less than optimal health outcomes for our kids.

So as my story hopefully illustrates, while we often frame this cooking problem as a time problem or a budget problem, for many folks it’s actually a skills problem.  Because when you don’t have those basic cooking and budgeting skills that my mother and grandmother had, everything takes longer and costs much more. 

You don’t know how to plan a full week of meals, so you go back and forth to the grocery store.  You don’t know how to cut a whole chicken yourself, so you pay more for the pre-cut parts.  You’ve never learned the basics of cooking, so even simple dishes take longer to prepare.  And today, a lot of folks think it’s quicker and cheaper to just grab some fast food. 

But the fact is that with the right recipes and a few basic skills, there are countless recipes that families can prepare in less than 30 minutes –- meals that actually cost less than going to the drive-through.  For example, a fast food meal for a family of four could cost as much as $20, $25 or more.  But for less than $15, a family can cook a full chicken dinner complete with sides. 

And cooking isn’t just good for our budgets or our physical health, it’s also good for our kids’ emotional health.  Research shows that when families share meals together, kids actually perform better in school, and they get along better with their peers.  And let’s not forget that cooking together can actually be fun.  

So the benefits of cooking couldn’t be more clear.  The question is how do we help families start cooking again, even if it’s just one or two meals a week?  Can we work with supermarkets to do more to distribute recipes on how to cook, and do demonstrations?  Can we develop the home-ec class of the future that will give kids -- both girls and boys –- the basic skills they need to feed themselves on a budget?  Can we inspire chefs to offer affordable cooking classes in their restaurants?

I mean, the possibilities here are endless.  And in the coming months, as we continue our existing efforts, we will be announcing some new initiatives along these lines. 

But really, this is just one example of a very simple, creative approach that doesn’t require new legislation but can fundamentally change the way families take control of their own health.  And I know, looking around this room, that all of you have some great ideas of your own; many innovative, creative things to keep moving this issue forward.

And that’s why today, more than ever before, we need you all with us in this effort.  We need everyone in this room to keep tackling this problem from every angle, because we are just beginning to get traction on this issue.  After decades of struggle, we are just beginning to make some progress.  And I am proud of what we’ve achieved together.

But when one in three children in this country are still overweight or obese, when millions of kids are still on track to develop devastating illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, then we still have to do a gut check.  We need to ask ourselves, have we really done all that we can for our children?  Have we given them our very best?

And of course, the answer is, not really.  The truth is that right now, the biggest risk to our success is our own impatience, our desire to want big changes overnight.  Just think back to our first PHA Summit four years ago -- I don’t know how many of you were there -- I was there.  (Laughter.)  And I still remember all the excitement and determination we were feeling that day.  We didn’t listen to the skeptics who said we could never solve a problem this big and entrenched.  Instead, we all committed ourselves to one clear goal, and that was to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that kids born today will grow up healthy. 

Now, this wasn’t a five-year goal or a ten-year goal.  It was a generational goal, because it took decades for this childhood-obesity crisis to develop and we knew it would take decades to fix it.  And today, just four years later, studies are beginning to show that our youngest kids –- kids born two to five years ago -- are growing up healthier.

So we’re on track to achieve our goal, we are.  (Applause.)  We are on track.  But if we back down now, if we don’t keep innovating and pushing forward, I guarantee you that we will go right back to where we started.  And that’s not who we are.  That’s not what we do in this country. 

We don’t just walk away when things get hard, especially when it comes to our children’s future.  And we cannot walk away from this issue until obesity rates drop for children of every age and every background.  We cannot walk away until every child in this country has a shot at a healthy life.  And that’s why I’m in this for the long haul -- and I mean long after I leave the White House.  Because I believe in finishing what I start, and I know that you all do too.  (Applause.) 

So now is the time for all of us to truly double down.  Now is the time to commit more effort, more innovation, more energy, more dollars, and more leadership to solving this problem.  That’s what I plan on doing, and if you continue to join me in this effort, if you keep on digging deep and pushing forward, then I know we can raise healthier kids who will become healthier adults, who will raise healthier families of their own.

And that’s how we make real and lasting change in this country.  That’s how we create a better future for generations to come.  So I look forward to working with all of you to create that future that we know we can achieve in the months and years ahead. 

So thank you all.  Thank you for everything you’ve done.  Thank you for everything you continue to do.  I am so proud of you all.  God bless.  (Applause.)

END
1:58 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2014

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Kenny of Ireland after Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

11:15 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it is wonderful to have Taoiseach Kenny back here in the Oval Office.  This is one of my favorite times of year because I'm able to join with our friends from Ireland to celebrate the incredible bond that exists between our two countries.  I think it's fair to say that there are very few countries around the world where the people-to-people ties are so strong.

And in addition to sharing values and sharing a commitment to democracy, we also share these family ties that go back generations.  And I want to once again thank the people of Ireland for the incredible hospitality that they showed me and Michelle and the girls each time that we've had an opportunity to visit Ireland. 

I started the meeting today congratulating Taoiseach Kenny on the economic progress that's been made over the last several years in Ireland.  Obviously Ireland was hit hard by the financial crisis and problems with its banking system.  It required some very tough decisions that Taoiseach Kenny was willing to take.  But what we've now seen is Ireland emerge from its assistance program in a much stronger position on the global stage and in global markets.  And as a consequence, I think it's really well positioned to start building for the future and attracting businesses with a highly skilled and well-educated workforce. 

And there is tremendous investment by U.S. companies in Ireland.  There’s tremendous investment here in the United States by Irish companies.  We're an example of the mutually beneficial trade that can take place across the Atlantic.  And that's why we appreciate Taoiseach Kenny being a strong leader as we move forward on the Transatlantic trade agreement that is currently being negotiated between the United States and the EU.

We had an opportunity to discuss a range of global affairs.  Obviously on our minds right now is the situation in Ukraine.  Ireland has been a strong voice in the European Council for the need to send a clear message of support for Ukrainian democracy and self-determination, and a strong message to Russia that it should not violate the integrity and the sovereignty of its neighbor.  We continue to hope that there’s a diplomatic solution to be found, but the United States and Europe stand united not only in its message about Ukrainian sovereignty but also that there will be consequences if, in fact, that sovereignty continues to be violated.

We had an opportunity to discuss the fact that Ireland does tremendous work around the world on a whole range of issues.  It punches above its weight when it comes to humanitarian efforts.  We very much appreciate that. 

Closer to home, we both share an interest in seeing Northern Ireland continue to take the next steps that are necessary to finally bring an end to what so often has been a tragic history. I was disappointed, the U.S. government was disappointed that the All-Party Talks did not arrive at a final conclusion and agreement.  But we're urging the parties to continue to work and negotiate.  And I know that the good influence coming from Dublin will help to encourage that to move out of the past and get the kind of history that -- or the kind of future that Northern Ireland so richly deserves.

So I greatly appreciate, Taoiseach, your visit.  We look forward to a good lunch and I suspect some good Irish music.  And we will have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day reception this afternoon.  The Taoiseach, I understand, has brought his children here this time, so they’ll be able to celebrate alongside us.  And to you and your delegation, thank you again for your friendship and support.

PRIME MINISTER KENNY:  Let me just say it's a privilege to be here in the Oval Office with the President to continue these traditions and discussions that we've had between our two countries.  I might say that on this occasion we did not have to have a detailed discussion about Ireland’s economy.  I was able to report to the President the progress our country has made in the last couple years.

The President spoke about the issues that we did discuss.  In addition to that, we also discussed the question of immigration reform, which is an issue for Ireland and for many other countries, and we hope to pursue those discussions down at the Capitol building later on with a number of other representatives.

So it's a privilege to be here.  It’s a great occasion for us.  And I've given the President a review of the attitude and the happenings at the European Council meeting, particularly in relation to the situation in Ukraine.  And we hope that the entirety of message and strength of feeling can prevent very difficult circumstances arising there.

I explained to him the European Council meeting presentation by the Ukrainian President, the discussion with the EPP Congress with Prime Minister Cameron in Downing Street earlier this week and our hopes that this matter can be resolved.

So, again, my privilege to be here on behalf of the Irish people to wish the President, the First Lady and his family every success in their onerous responsibilities with so many places around the world requiring the assistance of the United States.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

Thank you, everybody.

Q    Will Vice President Biden come to Ireland?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  You know, Biden wants to come to Ireland  -- he lobbies me every week to go to Ireland.  So I guarantee you he'll get there.  He'll get there.

Thank you, everybody.

Q    Will you come back to join us again?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Oh, I'd love -- tell everybody in Moneygall I said hi.

END 
11:22 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 13, 2014

Remarks by the President On Overtime Pay

East Room

2:27 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Please.  Thank you, guys.  Please have a seat. 

Well, welcome to the White House.  Before I get started, I just want to acknowledge somebody who is working so hard on behalf of America’s workers each and every day, our outstanding Secretary of Labor, Tom Perez.  So give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  There you go.  Tom must have brought some of his family with him.  (Laughter.)

We’ve got a lot of honored guests here.  We’ve got middle-class workers who rely on overtime pay.  We’ve got business owners who believe in treating their employees right both because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s good for business.  And thanks to the hard work and resilience of Americans like the ones who are here today, our economy has been growing for a number of years now. 

Our businesses have created more than 8.5 million new jobs over the last four years.  The unemployment rate is at the lowest it’s been in over five years.  But in many ways, the trends that have really battered middle-class families for decades have gotten worse, not better.  Those at the top are doing better than ever, but for the average family, wages have barely budged.  And too many Americans are working harder and harder just to get by.

So we’ve got to reverse those trends.  We’ve got to build an economy that works for everybody, not just for a few.  And we’ve got to restore the basic notion of opportunity that is at the heart of the American experience:  Opportunity for everyone; the belief that here in America, it doesn’t matter where you started, if you are willing to work hard and act responsibly, you’ve got a chance to get ahead.

So at my State of the Union at the beginning of the year I laid out an opportunity agenda to give more Americans a chance to succeed.  It’s got four parts.  Number one, making sure we’re creating more good jobs that pay good wages.  Number two, making sure that we’re training more Americans with the skills that are needed to fill those jobs.  Number three, making sure every child in America gets a world-class education.  And number four, which is what I’m going to be focusing on today, making sure that our economy rewards the hard work of every American.  

Now, making work pay means making sure women earn equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  It means giving women the chance to have a baby without sacrificing jobs, or a day off to care for a sick child or parent without worrying about making ends meet.  It means making sure every American has access to quality, affordable health care that’s there when you need it.  So if there’s somebody out there that you know that doesn’t have health insurance, make sure they go on healthcare.gov -- (laughter) -- before March 31st.  That’s a priority.  (Applause.)  And it means wages and paychecks that help to support a family.

Profitable corporations like Costco see paying higher wages as way to reduce turnover and boost productivity.  And I’ve asked business owners to do what they can to give their employee a raise.  As some of you saw, I was at The Gap yesterday -- or the day before yesterday in Manhattan -- and fortunately Malia and Sasha liked the sweaters I bought them.  (Laughter.)  But part of what I wanted to highlight was the fact that, on its own, The Gap decided to give a raise to 64,000 employees across the country. 

I’ve now called on Congress to give America a raise by raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  (Applause.)  And in this year of action, while Congress decides what it’s going to do -- whether it’s going to do anything about this issue -- and I hope that it does, and I know Democrats are pushing hard to get minimum wage legislation passed -- I’m going to do what I can on my own to raise wages for more hardworking Americans.  So a few weeks ago I signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.  Today, I’m going to use my pen to give more Americans the chance to earn the overtime pay that they deserve.

Overtime is a pretty simple idea:  If you have to work more, you should get paid more.  And if you want to know why it’s so important, just ask some of the folks here who are behind me.  Nancy Minor works at an oil refinery in Pennsylvania -- Nancy, raise your hand.  There you go.  Yes, give Nancy a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  So for the last 16 years, Nancy has been a single mom raising and educating four kids on her own, and that is not easy, as you might imagine.  She’s been able to do it, though, thanks in part to her overtime pay. 

For more than 75 years, the 40-hour workweek and the overtime that comes with it have helped countless workers like Nancy get ahead.  And it means that when she’s asked to makes significant sacrifices on behalf of her company -- which she’s happy to do -- they’re also looking out for her, recognizing that that puts a strain on her family and -- having to get a babysitter and all kinds of things, adjustments that she has to make.  It’s just fair.  It’s just the right thing to do. 

Unfortunately, today, millions of Americans aren’t getting the extra pay they deserve.  That’s because an exception that was originally meant for high-paid, white-collar employees now covers workers earning as little as $23,660 a year.  So if you’re making $23,000, typically, you’re not high in management.  If your salary is even a dollar above the current threshold, you may not be guaranteed overtime.  It doesn't matter if what you do is mostly physical work like stocking shelves, it doesn't matter if you’re working 50 or 60 or 70 hours a week -- your employer doesn't have to pay you a single extra dime.

And I think that’s wrong.  It doesn’t make sense that in some cases this rule actually makes it possible for salaried workers to be paid less than the minimum wage.  It’s not right when business owners who treat their employees fairly can be undercut by competitors who aren’t treating their employees right.  If you’re working hard, you’re barely making ends meet, you should be paid overtime.  Period.  Because working Americans have struggled through stagnant wages for too long. 

Every day, I get letters from folks who just feel like they’re treading water.  No matter how hard they’re working -- they’re putting in long hours, they’re working harder and harder just to get by, but it’s always, at the end of the month, real tight.  Workers like the ones with me here today, they want to work hard.  They don’t expect a free lunch and they don’t expect to be fabulously wealthy, they just want a chance to get ahead.

So today, I’m taking action to help give more workers that chance.  I’m directing Tom Perez, my Secretary of Labor, to restore the common-sense principle behind overtime:  If you go above and beyond to help your employer and your economy succeed, then you should share a little bit in that success.  And this is going to make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans, from managers in fast food and retail to office workers, cargo inspectors.   

And we’re going to do this the right way -- we’re going to consult with both workers and businesses as we update our overtime rules.  We’re going to work to simplify the system to it’s easier for employers and employees alike.  With any kind of change like this, not everybody is going to be happy, but Americans have spent too long working more and getting less in return.

So wherever and whenever I can make sure that our economy rewards hard work and responsibility, that it makes sure that it’s treating fairly the workers who are out there building this economy every day, that’s what I’m going to do.  What every American wants is a paycheck that lets them support their families, experience a little bit of economic security, pass down some hope and optimism to their kids.  That’s what we’re going to be fighting for.  That’s what I’m going to be fighting for as long as I’m President of the United States. 

And with that, I’m going to sign this memo.  And I want to thank everybody for being here, especially the folks standing behind me.  (Applause.) 

END  
2:27 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2014

Remarks by President Obama and Ukraine Prime Minister Yatsenyuk after Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

3:30 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It is a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to the Oval Office, to the White House. 

I think all of us have seen the courage of the Ukrainian people in standing up on behalf of democracy and on the desire that I believe is universal for people to be able to determine their own destiny.  And we saw in the Maidan how ordinary people from all parts of the country had said that we want a change.  And the Prime Minister was part of that process, showed tremendous courage, and upheld the principles of nonviolence throughout the course of events over the last several months.

Obviously, the Prime Minister comes here during a very difficult time for his country.  In the aftermath of President Yanukovych leaving the country, the parliament, the Rada, acted in a responsible fashion to fill the void, created a inclusive process in which all parties had input, including the party of former President Yanukovych.  They have set forward a process to stabilize the country, take a very deliberate step to assure economic stability and negotiate with the International Monetary Fund, and to schedule early elections so that the Ukrainian people, in fact, can choose their direction for the future.  And the Prime Minister has managed that process with great skill and great restraint, and we’re very much appreciative of the work that he has done. 

The most pressing challenge that Ukraine faces at the moment, however, is the threat to its territorial integrity and its sovereignty.  We have been very clear that we consider the Russian incursion into Crimea outside of its bases to be a violation of international law, of international agreements of which Russia is a signatory, and a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.  And we have been very firm in saying that we will stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in ensuring that that territorial integrity and sovereignty is maintained. 

I think we all recognize that there are historic ties between Russia and Ukraine, and I think the Prime Minister would be the first one to acknowledge that.  And I think the Prime Minister and the current government in Kyiv has recognized and has communicated directly to the Russian Federation their desire to try to manage through this process diplomatically.  But what the Prime Minister I think has rightly insisted on is, is that they cannot have a country outside of Ukraine dictate to them how they should arrange their affairs.  And there is a constitutional process in place and a set of elections that they can move forward on that, in fact, could lead to different arrangements over time with the Crimean region, but that is not something that can be done with the barrel of a gun pointed at you.

And so Secretary Kerry is in communications with the Russian government and has offered to try to explore with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Lavrov, a diplomatic solution to this crisis.  We are in close communication with the Ukrainian government in terms of how we might proceed going forward.  But we will continue to say to the Russian government that if it continues on the path that it is on then not only us, but the international community -- the European Union and others -- will be forced to apply a cost to Russia’s violations of international law and its encroachments on Ukraine. 

There’s another path available, and we hope that President Putin is willing to seize that path.  But if he does not, I’m very confident that the international community will stand strongly behind the Ukrainian government in preserving its unity and its territorial integrity.

Let me just make two final points.  Obviously, because of the political turmoil, the economic situation in Ukraine has become more challenging, not less.  And that’s why I’m very proud that not only as critical members of the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, we are working with the Prime Minister and his team in a package that can help to institute necessary reforms inside of the Ukraine, but also help to stabilize the situation so that people feel confident that in their daily lives they can meet their basic necessities.

We’re also asking Congress to act promptly to deliver on an aid package, including a $1 billion loan guarantee that can help smooth the path for reform inside of Ukraine and give the Prime Minister and his government the capacity to do what they need to do as they are also organizing an election process.  So I would just ask both Democrats and Republicans, who I know are unified in their support of Ukraine, to move quickly to give us the support that we need so that we can give the Ukrainian people the support that they need.

And then, finally, Mr. Prime Minister, I would ask that you deliver a message on behalf of the American people to all the Ukrainian people, and that is that we admire their courage; we appreciate their aspirations.  The interests of the United States are solely in making sure that the people of Ukraine are able to determine their own destiny.  That is something that here in the United States we believe in deeply.  I know it’s something that you believe in deeply as well.  And you can rest assured that you will have our strong support as you move forward during these difficult times. 

Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER YATSENYUK:  Thank you, Mr. President.  And we highly appreciate the support that you have given to the Ukrainian people.  And my country feels that the United States stands by the Ukrainian people. 

Mr. President, it’s all about the freedom.  We fight for our freedom.  We fight for our independence.  We fight for our sovereignty.  And we will never surrender. 

My country has faced a number of challenges.  The military one is a key challenge today, and we urge Russia to stick to its international obligations, to pull back its military into barracks, and to start the dialogue with no guns, with no military, with no tanks, but with the diplomacy and political tools.

On behalf of my government, I would like to reiterate that we are absolutely ready and open for talks with the Russian Federation.  We adhere to all international obligations.  And we as the state of Ukraine will fulfill all bilateral and multilateral international treaties. 

On the economic side, Mr. President, we highly appreciate the support of the United States and the decision to guarantee $1 billion loan for the Ukrainian economy.  You know that we resumed talks with the IMF.  We do understand that these are tough reforms, but these reforms are needed for the Ukrainian state.  And we are back on track in terms of delivering real reforms in my country. 

As I already informed you, probably in the nearest future, next week or in 10 days, Ukraine is to sign a political part of  -- association agreement with the European Union, and we want to be very clear that Ukraine is and will be a part of the Western world, and our Russian partners have to realize that we are ready to make a new type or to craft a new type of our relationship where Ukraine is a part of the European Union, but Ukraine is a good friend and partner of Russia.

So much will depend on whether Russia wants to have this talk and whether Russia wants to have Ukraine as a partner or as a subordinate.  As I already indicated, we will never surrender and we will do everything in order to preserve peace, stability, and independence of my country.  And we appreciate your personal support, the support of your government, support of the American people to the Ukrainian people. 

Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much.

Q    (Inaudible.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Julie, we completely reject a referendum patched together in a few weeks with Russian military personnel basically taking over Crimea.  We reject its legitimacy.  It is contrary to international law.  It is contrary to the Ukrainian constitution. 

I know that we've heard from the Russian Federation this notion that these kinds of decisions are often made in other places, and they’ve even analogized it to Scotland or other situations of that sort.  In each of those cases that they’ve cited, decisions were made by a national government through a long, lengthy, deliberative process.  It's not something that happens in a few days, and it's not something that happens with an outside army essentially taking over the region.

As you just heard the Prime Minister indicate, the people of Ukraine recognize historic ties with the people of Russia.  The Prime Minister you just heard say, repeat what he said often, which is they’re prepared to respect all international treaties and obligations that they are signatories to, including Russian basing rights in Crimea.  The issue now is whether or not Russia is able to militarily dominate a region of somebody else’s country, engineer a slapdash referendum, and ignore not only the Ukrainian constitution but a Ukrainian government that includes parties that are historically in opposition with each other -- including, by the way, the party of the previous President.

So we will not recognize, certainly, any referendum that goes forward.  My hope is, is that as a consequence of diplomatic efforts over the next several days that there will be a rethinking of the process that's been put forward. 

We have already put in place the architecture for us to apply financial and economic consequences to actions that are taken.  But our strong preference is to resolve this diplomatically.  And as you heard the Prime Minister say, this idea that somehow the Ukrainian people are forced to choose between good relations with the West or good relations with Russia, economic ties with the West or economic ties with Russia, is the kind of zero-sum formulation that in the 21st century, with a highly integrated, global economy, doesn’t make any sense and is not in the interests of the Ukrainian people. 

I actually think, in the end, it's not in the interests of Russia either.  Russia should be thinking about how can it work with Ukraine to further strengthen its economic ties and trade and exchanges with Europe.  That will make Russia stronger, not weaker.  But obviously Mr. Putin has some different ideas at this point. 

We do not know yet what our diplomatic efforts will yield, but we'll keep on pressing.  In the meantime, the main message I want to send is that we are highly supportive of a government in Kyiv that is taking on some very tough decisions, is committed to law and order, inclusivity, committed to the rights of all Ukrainian people, and is committed to fair and free elections that should settle once and for all any questions that there may be about what’s transpired since former President Yanukovych left the country. 

And the most important thing to remember is this is up to the Ukrainian people.  It's not up to the United States.  It's not up to Russia.  It's up to the Ukrainian people to make a decision about how they want to live their lives.  That's what all of us should support.  And certainly that's the reason why I'm so pleased to have the Prime Minister here today. 

                     END            3:46 P.M. EDT       

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2014

Remarks by the President to Women Members of Congress

Roosevelt Room

4:17 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s an honor for me to welcome these outstanding women members of Congress. 

And I think that over the last several weeks and months, what the American people have seen is my single-most important priority domestically is to make sure that everybody in this country has opportunity; that if you’re willing to work hard and take responsibility, you can make it.  At a time when the economy is growing, at a time when corporate profits are high and the stock market is doing well, we want to make sure that everybody is benefitting from that growth, because what we know is when everybody has opportunity, when everybody is on the field, America’s economy grows faster, the middle class expands, and that, in turn, fosters more growth.

Now, recently, my economic team did a report that delivered some good news.  It turns out that women are succeeding in colleges and graduate education like never before.  They are more represented in professions and occupations that previously they were restricted from participating in.  And what we’ve seen in our own families and our own lives is that there are doors that have been opened to women that previously were closed.

And yet, despite that progress, despite that good news, what we also know is women are still making 77 cents on the dollar, including when they enter into these high-paying professions, they’re making less money.  We know that women continue to be disproportionately represented in low-wage professions, which means that something like an increase in the federal minimum wage is going to have a disproportionate impact on them.  And women are still the ones that are carrying the greatest burden when it comes to trying to balance family and work.  Because of inadequate childcare, or the inability to get paid leave for a sick child or an ailing parent, they end up suffering the burdens -- and, by the way, that means families are suffering the burden, because, increasingly, women are a critical breadwinner for families all across the country.

So it is with that in mind that we’ve been working on, many of the women who are here today and other members of Congress, on organizing a White House Summit on Working Families that is going to take place this summer on June 23rd.  And this will give us an opportunity to build on the work that we’re doing here in the White House around issues like minimum wage, around issues like family leave, around issues like equal pay.  But we’re also going to be able to invite other stakeholders, folks outside of Washington, people who are able to tell their story, talk about their experiences -- governors and mayors, business leaders -- all of whom can work together with us to make sure that we’re advancing not just the interests of women but the interests of families and the interests of the middle class and people who are trying to get into the middle class. 

So I’m tremendously grateful for the leadership that the members of Congress have already shown on this issue.  I am proud that we have taken some initiatives on our own, because sometimes Congress is a little stubborn about these issues -- at least some of our good friends on the other side of the aisle.  But we’re going to keep on pressing.  Because if we work together, this is a great opportunity for the United States to take some leaps forward.

One of our greatest strengths, by the way, is that -- compared to some other countries -- our participation of women in the workforce gives us a potential economic advantage.  But we’ve got to make sure that we’re actually fulfilling that promise, and that’s what this conference will be all about, this summit will be all about during this summer.

So with that, I’d like to have the two women seated next to me just make brief remarks.  First of all, our outstanding Leader of the Democrats in the House and first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.  And she will be followed by somebody who has been doing a lot of work on budget stuff, but understands also family budgets and why this is so important -- Senator Patty Murray.

So, Nancy.

LEADER PELOSI:  Thank you very much, Mr. President, for bringing us together and thank you for your leadership on the White House Summit for Working Families.  As you know, the House and Senate women have been working on our agendas in this regard, reflecting the values and the approaches you have put forth.  Thank you for mentioning in the State of the Union -- when women succeed, America succeeds.  It’s not a slogan; it’s a statement of fact.  (Laughter.)  That’s why when you talk you about paycheck fairness or you talk about paid sick leave and the work-family balance, and you talk about early childhood learning, you have initiatives in all of these areas.  And as you said at the end, it’s really important -- not just for women and families and men, but for our economy -- that women succeed. 

So thank you for inviting us to talk about how we go forward with the summit and thank you for being out there, and thank Michelle, too.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  She’s on me about this all the time.  (Laughter.)

LEADER PELOSI:  Thank you, Mr. President.

SENATOR MURRAY:  As she should.  (Laughter.) 

Mr. President, thank you so much.  We are delighted to join you at this really important discussion along with Leader Pelosi and all of our colleagues to talk about one of the most important issues facing our economy today, and that is the ability for women in America to have the kinds of opportunities to participate and really help grow our economy. 

You mentioned that women earn 77 cents on the dollar.  If you put that another way, women work for free until April Fool’s Day -- and then we get our first check.  And that is an economic issue to women in America and one that we’re going to be addressing in the Senate very soon along with raising the minimum wage, which affects two-thirds of the people on minimum wage, as working women. 

The other issues that you’re talking about are so important to families, whether it’s childcare or family leave, the policies that affect our families, affect the ability of a woman to do the best job.  You, as a woman, do a good job at work if you know your kids are okay; we were just talking about that.  And we want to make sure that we address that broad range of issues to help make sure that we help this economy grow and prosper, and we really appreciate your leadership.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, everybody.

Q    Are you concerned about Senator -- the CIA was spying on the Senate?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll just say a quick statement on the CIA issue.  The first day I came into office, I ended the practices that are subject to the investigation by the Senate committee, and have been very clear that I believe they were contrary to our values as a country.

Since that time, we have worked with the Senate committee so that the report that they are putting forward is well-informed, and what I’ve said is that I am absolutely committed to declassifying that report as soon as the report is completed.  In fact, I would urge them to go ahead and complete the report, send it to us.  We will declassify those findings so that the American people can understand what happened in the past, and that can help guide us as we move forward.

With respect to the issues that are going back and forth between the Senate committee and the CIA, John Brennan has referred them to the appropriate authorities and they are looking into it.  And that’s not something that is an appropriate role for me and the White House to wade into at this point. 

But the one thing that I want to emphasize is the substantive issue -- which is how do we operate even when we’re threatened, even when we’ve gone through extraordinary trauma -- has to be consistent with rule of law and our values.  And I acted on that on the first day, and that hasn’t changed.

Thanks very much, everybody.

END  
4:26 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady at Joining Forces Muppet Movie Screening

South Court Auditorium

4:03 P.M. EDT

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Okay, ladies and gentlemen, how are you this afternoon?  (Applause.)  Please hold your applause for the Muppets.  No, not really.  Hold your applause for the First Lady, who I will introduce here in a moment.

I’m really excited to be here with my wife, Deanie, who is sitting over here.  And we want you to know how much we love the children of our men and women who serve in uniform.  You guys are terrific.  And really, we couldn’t do what we do without you.  So it’s really a great honor for me to be here today.

And I know what you really want to do is see this movie, but I do want to see if you’re awake and ready and alert to watch the movie.  So I have three questions I want to ask you, and I -- if you know the answer, just yell it out.  So the first one is:  Why are teddy bears never hungry?

PARTICIPANT:  Because they're always stuffed.

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Because they're always stuffed.  You’re right.  (Laughter.)

What do you call a pig that knows karate?

AUDIENCE:  Pork chop.  (Laughter.)

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Pork chop.  You guys are all over it.  You’re ready for the movie. 

And, finally, what is a frog’s favorite kind of music?

PARTICIPANT:  Hip hop.  (Laughter.)   

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Hip hop, you got it.  (Laughter.)  Give yourselves a round of applause.  (Applause.)

Well, I know this movie is going to be funnier than the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  And so what I want to do now is introduce someone very special to us as a military family, someone who has spent her time in office with her husband making sure that we can take care of you.  And with that -- hi, Bonnie -- with that as all the introduction she really needs, it’s my great honor to introduce the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.) 

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, hello, everyone.  How are you guys doing? 
AUDIENCE:  Good!

MRS. OBAMA:  Welcome to the White House.  Isn’t this cool?  General Dempsey, those were some pretty good jokes. 

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Not bad. 

MRS. OBAMA:  Not bad.  What did you guys think of the jokes -- pretty funny?  (Applause.)  Yes.

Well, we’re not going to talk long because we know why we’re really here, but I just wanted to take a moment to make sure you understand why we’re doing this, why it was so important for us to make it possible for you guys to see this movie here.  Do you know why?  Because we are incredibly proud of you, first of all.  I know we have military moms and dads.  We have some Gold Star families.   But most importantly, we have our military kids.

And I get to travel all around the country and I meet a lot of kids.  And let me tell you, I am most impressed by our military kids, because I know you guys have a lot on your plates.  When your parents are deployed, you have to be big boys and girls.  You have to get your homework done.  You have to stay out of trouble.  You have to help out with your brothers and sisters, right?  You have to behave.  You have to be strong and brave. 

And the thing I’m always impressed is that you do all this and you do it in a way that makes us proud.  Do you know that, that we are so proud of you?  You guys are heroes.  Do you know that?  I want you to know that.  That's why you’re at the White House, because you are our special guests and our heroes.  So we thought you should be some of the first kids in the entire country that sees one of the best, coolest movies on the planet.  (Applause.)  Yes, yes. 

But guess what?  Also, I’ve got another little surprise.  Because you were so cool, and we wanted you to see the “Muppets Most Wanted,” we thought that it would be fun to invite an extra special guest with us.  And I would like to take a moment to introduce our extra special -- it’s Kermit the Frog, everyone.  (Applause.)

KERMIT THE FROG:  Oh, thank you.  Nice to meet you.  Thank you.  Thank you, ma’am.  Good to see you again.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, it’s wonderful to see -- oh, thank you, Kermit.  Thank you so much.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Thank you.  That's what they do in Europe.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, very fancy.  It’s great to have you here.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Well, it’s wonderful to be here.  I would have been here sooner.  I did get to take pictures with everybody earlier, but it took me a while to get through security.  And I still don't understand how a frog with no clothes could set off a metal detector, but -- (laughter).

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  You ought to see -- try to get through with this on.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes.  (Laughter.)

KERMIT THE FROG:  I can imagine.  I can imagine.  That must be tough.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, we are just happy to have you here, and we’re so delighted.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Yes.  Well, I am thrilled to be here.  And, by the way, I’m just wondering, do you mind -- we sort of know each other.  Could I call you Michelle?

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, please do.  Please do.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Yes, it’s mostly because I have to call Miss Piggy Her Highness.  (Laughter.)  You guys will know what I mean when you see the movie.

But I just want to say a couple of things.  It’s true that I’m here today because of all you kids.  I always say it’s not easy being green, and that sometimes it’s not easy for you guys -- for your moms and dads who wear a green uniform or a blue one or a white one.  But you guys have to be just as tough as them, you know?  We understand what that means.

And kids like you are moving from town to town every couple of years sometimes, and you might have to keep making new friends.  But I know you wish your mom and dad could be around more than they are.  But because of all of you and your -- because of that you’re all strong and brave and very grown up.  And that's very cool.  And I wish I had been that cool when I was a tadpole.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, Kermit, I think you’re very cool and I think you’re very smart too.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Well, thank you, thank you.  And I think you are very nice, much nicer than Miss Piggy.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, well, that's kind of a low bar.  (Laughter.)

KERMIT THE FROG:  You’re right.  You’re right.  She doesn't raise it very high.

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  Well, I would like to take this opportunity to make a special presentation to Kermit, because of what Kermit has done for all of you.  I’d like to give Kermit, as the senior Muppet, a coin from the senior military officer.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Oh, my goodness.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, wow.

GENERAL DEMPSEY:  So, Kermit, on behalf of the Armed Forces, and especially on behalf of this group of great soldier, sailor, airman, Marine spouses and children, I’d like to give you this coin.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Yes, sir.  Oh, my goodness.  That is wonderful.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  I feel so honored and I can't wait to show this to the gang.

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, that is a very big privilege --

KERMIT THE FROG:  It sure is.

MRS. OBAMA:  -- for a very big frog.

KERMIT THE FROG:  For a very small frog.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, I think you’re pretty big.  But this is a good time.  Don't you think it’s time for us to get the movie started?  It’s ready.

KERMIT THE FROG:  Yes, yes, yes.  (Applause.)  And thanks again to all of you military families for everything that you do.  You are all amazing.  So here goes, if I may.

MRS. OBAMA:  Please.

KERMIT THE FROG:  I may not be a Marine, but I am marine life.  (Laughter.)  I salute you.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, thanks, Kermit.

KERMIT THE FROG: See you later.

MRS. OBAMA:  And thank you, everyone.  Enjoy the show.  We are so proud of you and we are blessed to have you on our team.  You guys have fun.  Bye-bye. 

KERMIT THE FROG:  Bye-bye.  Enjoy the movie.  (Applause.)  

END  
4:08 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 11, 2014

Remarks by the President at DSCC Dinner -- NY, NY

Private Residence
New York, New York

7:20 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Well, let me start by just thanking Tony and Amie and the James family for hosting this wonderful dinner.  And they have been great friends.  I will say that the last time I saw them they were dancing well past their curfew.  (Laughter.)  But I probably shouldn’t say anything about that in front of the press. (Laughter.) 

I also want to acknowledge the new mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, and his wonderful partner and powerhouse, Chirlane, who are here today.  And we are so looking forward to the great work that they’re going to do here in New York, and obviously we want to be a partner with this city.  As many of you know, I've got a deep, abiding love for New York, having gone to school here and spent a bunch of time here, and seeing all the energy and possibilities, I'm very, very excited and very invested in your success.

I also want to acknowledge one of the finest public servants in the country, who has a very thankless job, and that is to try to make sure that we have a Democratic Senate, which means he has to travel constantly away from his gorgeous daughters and his wonderful wife -- Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado.  (Applause.)  So I just wanted to acknowledge him as well. 

Tony pretty much summed it up so I don't have to really say much.  (Laughter.)  I’ll just put a little flesh on the bones.  Over the last five years, our economy has recovered faster and stronger from the worst financial crisis and economic crisis since the Great Depression, better than any other developed country on Earth.  And you can take a look at the charts and see that because of the actions we took -- because of the Recovery Act, because of the Fed -- because of swift, coordinated action, we have bounced back.

We've created 8.5 million new jobs over the last five years. We've had four years of consecutive job growth as well as economic growth.  We have seen an auto industry that was basically flat-lining rebound in ways that very few people would have anticipated.  The stock market is close to the highest that it's ever been; close to $10 trillion of wealth has been recovered that was lost. 

On the energy front, we’ve produced more energy than we ever have before.  We're importing less.  We have doubled clean-energy production.  And we've done all this while reducing carbon emissions that cause climate change faster than other developed countries, including Europe -- including the entire continent of Europe. 

Not only have we already provided health care for millions of people who didn’t have it before -- the latest report is we've got well over 4 million people who’ve already signed up through the exchanges; we've got 3 million young people who are staying on their parents’ health care that didn’t have that opportunity before; we've got millions more who are signed up for Medicaid, including here in New York City -- but we've done all this while seeing the increase in health care costs go up at the slowest rate in 50 years.

On the education front, we've seen unprecedented movements for reform all across the country.  The dropout rate has been reduced.  The Latino dropout rate has been cut in half.  And so as -- and then we've done all this while also reducing the deficit in half so that we are on a glide path for a deficit-to-GDP ratio that is sustainable. 

That's not bad.  And yet, if you talk to folks around the country, there is still enormous anxiety and people feel uncertain about their futures, and more importantly, their children’s futures.  And why is that?  Because although we have rebounded and we are growing and there are all kinds of indicators that tell us that the 21st century can be the American Century just like the 20th was, that growth has been uneven and the beneficiaries of that growth have been uneven.

Now, obviously, anybody who has got a 401(k) has benefitted from the stock market recovering, but a lot of people don't have 401(k)s; don't have any kind of retirement accounts at all.  Corporate profits have done very well, but wages and incomes have been more or less flat.  Those are trends that were true even before the financial crisis and they’ve continued and in some ways accelerated.

Some of this has to do with globalization.  A lot of it has to do with technology.  But it is within our power to make sure that this economy not only grows but it grows in a broad-based way so that every child in this country has opportunity, and so that what has always been the engine of American prosperity -- that sense that brings people from all across the world to come here, that sense that if you work hard you can make it here in America -- that dream can be sustained.  But we're going to have to take some concrete steps to do it.

And a lot of this stuff in a normal political environment would be noncontroversial.  We've got $2 trillion worth of deferred maintenance -- and I suspect the Mayor is rapidly figuring out that there are going to be a lot more potholes this year because of the winter.  We could rebuild our roads, our bridges.  The next generation of air traffic control could reduce travel times drastically for flyers all across the country and reduce fuel and carbon emissions by about 30 percent, and create a whole bunch of jobs for engineers, computer programmers and construction workers.  Why aren’t we doing it?  Interest rates are still low.  People want to work.  Contractors -- I can't speak about the contractors who worked on this house because that's always challenging, but -- (laughter) -- but contractors, they’re coming in on time and under budget.  They’re dying for work.  Why aren’t we rebuilding America right now?

We know that the country that has the highest-skilled workers are going to be able to attract more business.  The average age of a tradesman in Wisconsin is 59 years old.  Manufacturers, because of lower energy prices, are interested in coming here.  What is holding them back is they’re not sure that they can find enough skilled workers.  Why aren’t we training them?  We know that makes sense. 

In early childhood education, you invest a dollar, you get 7 bucks back; reduce crime rates; reduce teen pregnancy; reduce dropout rates.  We know it works.  Why aren’t we doing it?  We're not taking these basic steps.  Immigration reform -- everybody says the system is broken.  Republicans -- John Boehner acknowledges we need to change it.  Why is it that we're not going ahead and doing it?  The bill already passed out of the Senate on a bipartisan vote.  What’s holding us back?

What’s holding us back is politics.  What’s holding us back is an atmosphere in Washington that puts a premium on saying no; puts a premium on an eye towards the next election instead of delivering on behalf of the American people. 

Now, I said in my State of the Union I am prepared to work with anybody, and I've shown myself willing to work with anybody in order to advance America’s agenda.  And I've also said I can't wait, so if Congress isn't going to act, I'll do what I can to act.  I will work with cities that are interested in doing early childhood education.  I will work with the private sector to see if we can come up with creative ways to finance some of our infrastructure needs.  We'll go out there and do a whole bunch of stuff administratively to try to make government work better, more efficiently, deliver better services and advance a broad-based growth agenda.  But, man, it would be a lot easier if I had a Congress that was serious about America’s future.

There are some things I can't do by myself.  Congress has the power of the purse.  We cannot deal with infrastructure on the levels we need to without Congress.  I can do some things on immigration, but I cannot make sure that we have an immigration system that potentially could grow our economy by an extra trillion dollars without Congress’s help. 

And so that's why all of you are here today.  My argument is very simple:  Tony is right -- we have all the cards we need for America to compete.  And when you travel outside this country, what’s always remarkable to me is the degree to which people view us still with envy with respect to our economy.  They marvel at our resiliency.  They marvel at our dynamism.  They marvel at low natural gas prices -- they really marvel at that.  They marvel at the degree to which we can attract talent from around the world. They marvel at our university system, which is unmatched.  But to realize all our potential that's sitting there right now we've got to have a Washington that functions better.

And the fact of the matter is that Democrats are not without our flaws.  We have our blind spots and we have our dogmas and we've got our crazy folks.  (Laughter.)  But as a whole, this is a party that is serious about making sure that America is growing and offering opportunity to everybody.  And the story many of you here in this room have lived, the success that you’ve lived out, what we're about is making sure a whole bunch of kids behind us can live out that same success.  And if I have just a smidgeon of a cooperative Congress, think what we can do these next two and a half years.

So I need your help.  Michael Bennet needs your help.  And I hope you will all step up because, although I'm very optimistic about our long-term trends, the notion that we would waste two years in further inaction rather than move boldly on a path that I think all of us in this room agree on -- we don't have time to waste.  I don't have time to waste.  The clock is ticking.  There’s less than two years left -- less than three years left.  I want to squeeze every last little bit of work that I can during the remainder of my term so that, looking back, I'm going to be able to say that we left everything on the field and every single person I could help in this office -- which is such an incredible privilege -- I helped.

Thank you.  (Applause.) 

END
7:34 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 11, 2014

Remarks by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice at the Department of State’s Global Chiefs of Mission Conference

Good afternoon everyone.  It’s really great to be back at the State Department and to be among so many good friends and colleagues, so thank you for welcoming me.  And I want to begin, not to start by calling you a liar Mr. Secretary—I was never an all-star basketball player, and it’s an oxymoron, at the National Cathedral School.  But I appreciate the sentiment behind it, and I thank you.  And I thank you for your friendship, thank you for those incredibly warm words, and it’s my great pleasure and honor to get to work together with you every day.  And I wanted in fact to begin by saluting Secretary Kerry for his extraordinary leadership of this Department.  As John said, we’ve been privileged to work together for over a decade in different capacities, and I can tell you that he only gets more energetic and more determined with time.  Serving as Secretary has truly highlighted the depth and the range of John’s expertise, and we are all fortunate to have such a tireless, world-class envoy leading American diplomacy.  And I know how much President Obama values John and relies on him to guide our foreign policy.  We see it every day and so I want to say Mr. Secretary, on behalf of all of us, thank you for all you are doing. 

Of course, it goes without saying that Secretary Kerry has a top-notch team supporting him, and among the great privileges I have is to have worked closely over many years now with Bill Burns, Wendy Sherman, Pat Kennedy and many others on just about every major issue area on our plate, and I’m thrilled to say welcome and congratulations to Heather Higginbottom our new Deputy now in place, and to the full roster of Under Secretaries who are now finally in their jobs.  So congratulations to Rose Gottemoeller, Sarah Sewall, Catherine Novelli, Rick Stengel and everyone, all of you who have been recently confirmed.   On behalf of President Obama, more importantly, I want to thank each and every one of you, our chiefs of mission, and your teams for the commitment you show and the sacrifices that you make every day.

I’ve spent much of my career working side-by-side with you, our outstanding diplomats and development experts.   I know the passion that goes into your work and the desire that you have to serve to the best of your ability.  Sadly, I’ve also experienced directly some of this Department’s greatest tragedies, including the bombings of our embassies in Kenya and Tanazania, and like all of you, continue to mourn the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other brave Americans in Benghazi just 18 months ago. 

So you know, there will always be dangers.  Many of your posts are in conflict zones or in areas where insecurity poses daily risks to your personal safety.  The threat of terrorist attacks and extremist violence is often present.  And, we here back home have a solemn obligation to keep you safe.  At the same time, no one wants you locked behind embassy walls where you can’t do your jobs effectively.  We have to balance your security with our diplomatic imperatives.   And I know that you all find it frustrating at times, but please know that President Obama and all of us at the White House and the State Department are most concerned both that you stay safe and that the critical work you all do is not the casualty of another horrific attack.  So we are committed—even in this difficult budget environment—to making sure you have the resources and the support you need to carry out your mission as safely as possible.

Your mission, our diplomacy, is more vital than ever.  You all know better than anyone that, in moments of need, the world turns to the United States of America.  Even as we speak, many of our most talented diplomats are working around-the-clock to redress the situation in Ukraine and to de-escalate tensions with Russia.  We are working in close coordination with our European partners, offering assistance to the new government in Kyiv and making it clear to President Putin that his flagrant violation of international law comes at a real cost. 

Events in Ukraine bear out a fundamental truth about U.S. leadership in the 21st century.  And that is that real power is not the ability to intimidate and coerce, but rather the capacity to inspire people through the example of our values and the ability to rally other nations to meet shared challenges.  No one should ever doubt President Obama’s determination to protect Americans from threats to our national security.  And yet at the same time, he understands that, in his words, “our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power – including strong and principled diplomacy.” 

Our conduct on the world stage is what makes other countries want to partner with us.  And by that measure, no nation is doing more than the United States of America.  No nation can match our enduring strengths: our economic and military might, our resources, our innovation, our network of alliances, and our diverse and resilient people. No nation does more to help people lift themselves out of poverty.  No nation does more to defend universal rights and fundamental freedoms.  And still, no nation is better positioned to lead in this young century.   

So today, I’d like to share with you a few of the areas where the President and his Principals on the national security team are most focused.  I’ll start with our commitment to enhance global security.  By the end of this year, our combat mission in Afghanistan will be over.  The vast majority of our troops will be home, and the United States will continue taking steps to move off a long-term war footing.  We are making our fight against al-Qai’da and its affiliates sustainable by developing a comprehensive counter-terrorism policy that is more agile and adapted to meet evolving threats.  By necessity, it must draw on every element of our national power and pull together expertise from across our government to design and implement a more effective, long-term counter-terrorism strategy.

With fewer of our resources allocated to counter-insurgency and similar operations, we must seize the opportunities that matter most to our future.  That starts with renewing our foundational relationship with Europe.  Europe is our partner of first resort on almost every critical global challenge, and that partnership delivers results around the world.  It proves the strength of our model of global leadership.  As the world’s pre-eminent security alliance, NATO is a bulwark for peace and security – of its members and partners alike.  Particularly in light of recent events, the NATO alliance and our summit this September will fortify the unshakable bond between Europe and the United States. 

That same commitment to securing our future drives our rebalance to Asia.  We’re strengthening our alliances, investing in regional institutions, and building new economic and security partnerships so that we can advance our interests in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.  This is not mere rhetoric.  We’re actually dedicating new and additional diplomatic, military, and foreign assistance resources to back up our comprehensive commitment to this region.  President Obama plans to make two trips to the Asia-Pacific region this year to keep our relationships moving forward. 

And yet, let’s be clear, because some have suggested the contrary:  the rebalance to Asia in no way means we are backing away from the Middle East or other areas of our traditional partnership.  I just returned from the Gulf.  The President will be traveling to Saudi Arabia later this month.  And, you all know how frequently Secretary Kerry comes calling.  The bottom line is, promoting a stable and secure Middle East is in fact vital to American interests.  An enduring political solution in Syria would benefit our own security; that’s why we continue to try to bolster the moderate opposition even as we lead humanitarian efforts and oversee the removal of Assad’s chemical weapons.  A lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians would be an anchor of stability in the region and finally end one of the world’s longest conflicts. 

And that’s why Secretary Kerry, at President Obama’s behest, is personally leading the effort to spur both sides at the negotiating table.  Similarly, through tough diplomacy combined with sanctions, we’ve isolated Iran and forced it to begin addressing international concerns about its nuclear program.  With our P5+1 partners, we’re negotiating directly with the Iranians to try to reach a comprehensive solution, which, if successful, will remove one of the greatest global security threats by ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. 

So thus, across a spectrum of our highest priority national security issues, we’re leading with diplomacy.  You are leading with diplomacy.  But, we aren’t just mitigating threats; we’re seizing opportunities, especially when it comes to our international economic agenda:  expanding global prosperity, creating jobs, and ensuring a level playing field for all.  And that’s the second key area for American leadership.  

One of our highest priorities is realizing the game-changing potential of trade agreements that will link the United States more closely to our partners across both oceans.  In the Asia-Pacific, we’re working hard to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership and to lock in agreement on a high-standard free trade agreement that will govern one-third of global commerce.  And, we’ve begun to make progress with our partners in Europe to develop a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that brings our economic cooperation up to the same level as our security alliance. 

As John Podesta emphasized to you yesterday, the Administration is spearheading a government-wide focus on ensuring our clean energy future and addressing climate change, both of which are critical to our security and our prosperity.  The same goes for our efforts to promote sustainable development and to take on the growing challenge of cybersecurity.  These kinds of global concerns can only be met with a global effort—one that marshals the resources and resolve of both the public and private sectors, and which depends on the sustained, high-level diplomatic engagement that only you can provide.       

In Africa—home to six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies—we’re building partnerships that will expand economic and development opportunities.  President Obama sees Africa as fertile ground where smart investments can have outsized impacts.  And that’s why President Obama is hosting the first-ever U.S. Summit with African heads of state this August, here in Washington.  And it’s why he is committed to signature initiatives that will advance shared goals such as Power Africa, to double access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa; the Young African Leaders Initiative to invest in Africa’s citizens; and our ongoing work to foster peace, food security, health, and democratic progress across the continent. 

Closer to home, Latin America and the Caribbean hold enormous potential to become ever stronger drivers of the global economy, if we can expand economic inclusion and remove the barriers that constrain growth.  Last month, I joined President Obama at the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico, where we are laying the groundwork, in partnership with Canada and Mexico, to make ours the most prosperous, secure and competitive region in the world.  We’re working with partners throughout the hemisphere to make our student exchange program, 100,000 Strong in the Americas, a reality. 

We’re cooperating to make progress on practical issues, from lowering energy costs in Central America and the Caribbean to reducing inequality and expanding the middle class by promoting innovative conditional cash transfer programs that help families send their children to school, alleviate hunger, or even purchase their first home.  With regard to Cuba, that means pursuing creative new policies that encourage positive change and improve human rights on the island, because ultimately, the Cuban people will benefit from more contact with Americans, not less. 

Finally, I want to touch on our bedrock commitment to advancing human rights and human dignity.  America stands proudly for the rights of all human beings – including women, the LGBT community, and religious and ethnic minorities.  We defend the freedom of all people to live and worship as they choose.  We champion open government and civil society and fight corruption.  We bolster freedom of assembly and a free press. 

And, while it’s neither effective nor desirable to advance human rights through the barrel of a gun, we recognize that there are times, such as when the threat of mass atrocities is imminent, that it is appropriate to join with others in using force to protect the innocent.  That is what our values demand.  It is also profoundly in our interest to strengthen the union of nations that respect universal rights. 

At times, we are compelled to make tough choices when the immediate need to defend our national security requires us to work with governments that do not share our fundamental commitment to human rights.  No one knows that better than all of you.  We look to you to strike the extremely difficult balance that both preserves critical bilateral relationships and champions the values we most cherish, because our commitment to democracy and human rights roundly reinforces our national security. 

So, even when it is politically difficult, we ask you to find new ways to empower those who are most marginalized in their societies.  In those almost eighty countries around the world where we find laws and policies that persecute or discriminate against members of the LGBT community, we need you to be a clarion voice— to decry laws that would lock people up because of who they love and to find new ways to protect vulnerable members of the LGBT community.  We need you to combat restrictions, also, that close space for civil society.  And, we need you to be the early-warning tripwire where an atrocity is looming so we can strive to prevent it.

The majority of the world’s population is still struggling to realize a better future.  In developing countries, we seek opportunities to expand our partnerships to improve the well-being of all citizens.  We’re particularly keen to partner with communities that are investing in their own people—from improving maternal health and child nutrition to achieving the goal globally of an AIDS-free generation.  In fragile states, we are seeking better ways to help manage crises while working to strengthen the state’s foundations over the long term.  In countries transitioning to democracy, we must help them navigate the difficult choices they must make without dictating the outcomes. 

Think back on those harrowing images just a few weeks ago from Kyiv’s Independence Square—a city on fire, security forces storming the streets, snipers picking off protestors.  And yet, the ranks of Ukrainians filling the Square only grew.  Today, that Square is a memorial to their bravery.  Lamp posts that bear the scars of bullets, ground charred by fire, makeshift barricades made holy by piles of flowers and photographs of the fallen—all are a testament to the indomitable human spirit.  I was particularly moved to hear the story Secretary Kerry told after visiting the Square—about the young man who, having traveled to Australia and seeing the rights others enjoy, joined the Maidan protesters because he was determined that Ukrainians should share in them too. 

Keep in mind that man in the Square who wants only the same basic security and opportunity that we enjoy as a human being with the same aspirations that we have.  Remember the woman who asks only for an equal shot to live up to her potential.  Remember the children who are desperate to grow up healthy and assured of their own self-worth.  In an age of borderless threats and boundless possibilities, our own future and security are inextricably linked to theirs. So, it’s our job to make sure the United States remains the strongest and most effective global leader – for all of our sakes. 

The world looks to the United States.  What’s more, the world counts on the United States.  They, and we, need you – to guide and represent this unique nation – to ensure we remain the exceptional global leader we have always been.  So thank you. Thank you for all you do every day on behalf of the American people.

Thank you for helping us better this great nation that we are all so proud to serve.