Remarks by the President at a DSCC Fundraising Reception

Private Residence
Miami, Florida

6:25 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Wow, if Jorge wasn’t so good at business, we might have to run him for something -- (laughter) -- because I was inspired just listening to him.  To Jorge and Aleyda, and the entire Mas family, thank you so much for the incredible hospitality in this beautiful setting and to all of you who are here.

Everything that Jorge said is true and I remember as if it was yesterday, although we noted that both of us have gotten a little grayer since the first time we met.  (Laughter.)  When I first met Jorge, I was obviously the underdog in a presidential campaign.  And I had taken a deep interest in Florida and a deep interest in Cuban politics.  But the truth is I hadn't had occasion to campaign a lot in Florida, with the exception of making sure that Florida re-elected one of the finest senators we have in this country, Bill Nelson, who is here tonight.  (Applause.)

But one of the things I was confident about was given my history and concern on issues of freedom, democracy, civil society, my own background as a grassroots organizer that the policies that the United States pursued would be ones that would focus on the idea of liberty and how do we build that from the bottom-up.  And Jorge immediately was able to share with me his vision and his views.  And, as a consequence, we were in a position I think to make changes that empowered, that opened the possibility of greater penetration and contact from Cuban families here in remittances and in travel. 

And we’ve started to see changes on the island.  Now, I think we all understand that, ultimately, freedom in Cuba will come because of extraordinary activists and the incredible courage of folks like we see here today.  But the United States can help.  And we have to be creative.  And we have to be thoughtful.  And we have to continue to update our policies.  Keep in mind that when Castro came to power, I was just born.  So the notion that the same policies that we put in place in 1961 would somehow still be as effective as they are today in the age of the Internet and Google and world travel doesn't make sense.

And I think that partly because we're of the same generation, we recognize that the aims are always going to be the same.  And what we have to do is to continually find new mechanisms and new tools to speak out on behalf of the issues that we care so deeply about. 

Now, as Jorge mentioned, he is also a great businessman.  And his family has a great tradition of business in this country.  And the energy sector is one that is an enormous advantage for the United States.  We're starting to see changes in geopolitics in part because of the incredible production of both traditional energy sources and new energy sources.  It's interesting.  I was having a meeting with the Central American leaders when I was in Costa Rica.  And the single thing they wanted to talk most about was energy and how could the United States help them on their energy costs.  And that gives you a sense of why the kind of smart public policies combined with outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders like Jorge can make an enormous difference in our position in the world over the long term. 

Now, I wish that I could say that Washington always runs on the basis of common sense.  But Washington is a political place.  And what we've seen over the last several years is a constant ratcheting up of partisanship that prevents us from moving forward on things that I think most people would say aren't Democrat or Republican ideas.  They're just good, common-sense, American ideas.  Energy independence is one of them -- making sure that we're investing in the best schools, so that our children can compete in this new global economy; rebuilding our infrastructure, not just our energy infrastructure, but our ports and our roads and our bridges and our air traffic control systems, so that we stay on the cutting edge; making sure we're investing in research and development.  Those are all things that are critically important and should not be the subject of ideological debates.

Unfortunately, what we've seen is again and again those efforts blocked.  And, in fact, sometimes what we've seen is Washington hurt our economy instead of helping, most recently with the shutdown and the threat that for the first time in over 200 years, America wouldn't pay its debts. 

So we have a whole drawer full of good ideas.  And some of them I can do on my own, administratively.  But, ultimately, I've got to have a Congress that is prepared to move forward, to work on those issues where we agree even as we understand there are some issues where we're going to disagree.  And that's why you being here tonight is so important. 

One of my favorite people and one of the finest public officials that we have in this country is here tonight -- Michael Bennet.  He is the senator from Colorado.  (Applause.)  And Michael has the thankless job of traveling all around the country and raising money and recruiting candidates on behalf of the Democratic Senate Committee.  And I have to tell you that when Michael and I, we traveled down to Dallas together just a couple of days ago, we both sat there and we agreed that the horizon and the possibilities are limitless for the United States in this next generation. 

We are better positioned than any country on Earth to succeed in the 21st century, just like we were in the 20th century.  But the only way it's going to happen is if we solve some of the political dysfunction that exists in Washington.  And that's where you come in, because we can't make it happen without you.  And that's why I'm so grateful to Jorge for the support that he has provided. 

I'll give you just one specific example to indicate what can happen if we focus not on the next election, but we focus on the next generation.  We've been talking about immigration reform for decades now.  Almost a decade ago, my predecessor, George W. Bush, said that comprehensive immigration reform that would strengthen our borders, improve our legal immigration system and do something about those who are here on an undocumented basis, that that would be good for the economy.  And it was embraced by a large number of Republicans as well as Democrats. 

We have seen the Senate most recently -- Michael Bennet was part of a group, bipartisan group that helped to pass a comprehensive bill that we know would add over a trillion dollars of economic growth to our country, would reduce our deficit by $800 million, is supported by law enforcement, clergy, business, immigration rights activists.  And right now, it's being held up.  It's being held up not because it's not a good idea.  The majority of the American people support it.  It's being held up because there's a small faction in the other party that has decided we don't want to do anything and our main goal is obstruction.

The only way we can continue to place pressure to get that bill done is by making sure that the other side -- or at least that small faction on the other side -- understands there's a price to pay when you don't act on the basis of the interests of the American people.  And so that's something that I hope we can still get done by the end of this year. 

And, by the way, if the Republicans decided to pass it -- and nobody would be happier than me -- even though it would be to their political advantage to do it, because ultimately I've run my last election.  And along with the gray hair, what comes with being President is that you take the long view and you start thinking about 10 years from now or 20 years from now or 30 years from now. 

And when I'm hopefully playing with some grandkids -- but not too soon -- (laughter) -- because Malia and Sasha are only 15 and 12, I want to know that what I did made the world a better place for them.  I want them to know that because of the decisions we made now, we're more energy independent and that we're improving our environment.  I want them to know that not just they and their friends got a great education, but children all across America got a great education.  I want them to know that the same liberty and freedom that they enjoy here is enjoyed in other parts of the world, including Cuba. 

That's what motivates me.  That's what gets me up every day.  I want to make sure that I'm delivering for them.  And I know Jorge feels the same way.  And I know all of you feel the same way.  That's what we're fighting for.  That's what this is about. 

And so, I know that sometimes politics seems messy and ugly.  And sometimes, it can be discouraging.  And the path of progress typically involves two steps forward and then one step back.  And it doesn't always move in a straight line.  That's true for those who are still fighting for their freedom.  That's true for those who already enjoy their freedom.  But what I'm confident about is if we stay persistent and we keep our eye on the prize that we'll get to where we need to go. 

And I'm just grateful to all of you for joining us in this process.  And I want you to know that if we've got senators like Bill Nelson in our Senate and Michael Bennet in our Senate, then that's going to help me deliver on the promises that I've made.

So thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

END 
6:37 P.M. EST

Remarks by the President on the Economy -- Port of New Orleans

Port of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

12:32 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Big Easy!  (Applause.)  Everybody, give it up for Nancy for that great introduction.  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in New Orleans.  This is what passes for winter here in New Orleans, huh?  (Laughter.)  Folks got all their coats on and all that.  Come on.  You need to go to Chicago to know what it's like to be cold.

It is great to be here.  It is especially happy for my staff.  They love coming to New Orleans.  But we did schedule the event early because I figure there's a limit to how much trouble they could get into.  (Laughter.)  They can't get over to Bourbon Street fast enough if we did a daytime event.  And I know that there are probably a couple of my staff that are LSU fans.  I wouldn't mind staying for the game tomorrow night.  I know we've got the president here -- I just saw him a minute ago and I wished him all the best.

I also want to acknowledge a couple of other people who are here.  You've got your Governor -- Bobby Jindal is here.  (Applause.)  We've got the Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, who is here.  (Applause.)  We have Cedric Richmond, your outstanding Congressman.  (Applause.)  Cedric then brought down a whole bunch of his colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus for some important work that they're doing -- not that they're going to enjoy themselves at all while they're here.  (Laughter.)  But we are thrilled to see them all here. 

You have one of the best mayors in the country in Mitch Landrieu.  (Applause.)  And I just flew down with your Senator, who, by coincidence, has the same name -- Mary Landrieu.  (Applause.)  She's traveling around the state today and doing unbelievable work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.  And I just want to say nobody is a tougher advocate on behalf of the working people of Louisiana than Mary Landrieu.  So we're very, very proud of the work that she does.  (Applause.)

Finally, I want to thank Mr. Gary LaGrange, Keith Palmisano, and Chris Hammond.  They showed me around the port.  (Applause.)  And this is one of the -- by the way, anybody who's got a seat, feel free.  I noticed that a few folks are standing up.  If you don’t have a seat then keep on standing.  I don’t want you hurting yourself.

This is one of the busiest port complexes in the entire world.  You move millions of tons of steel and chemicals and fuel and food every single year.  I just found out you also handle a lot of the country’s coffee, which means you're responsible for keeping the White House awake at all times.  (Applause.)  Got some coffee folks here.

And, in so many ways, this port is representative of what ports all around the country do:  They help to keep our economy going -- moving products, moving people, making sure that businesses are working.  You've got corn and wheat that’s coming down from my home state of Illinois down the river, ending up here, and then going all around the world.  And it's part of the reason why we've been able to increase exports so rapidly, is because we've got some of the best natural resources and waterways and facilities in the world. 

Now, growing our economy, creating new jobs, helping middle-class families regain a sense of stability and security so they can find good jobs and make sure that their kids are doing even better than they did -- that’s always been what America is about, but for too many people, that sense that you can make it here if you try, that sense has been slipping away.  And my driving focus has been to restore that sense of security, and it should be Washington's focus, regardless of party.  That’s what everybody in Washington should be thinking about every day.  

So today, I want to just offer a couple of ideas about what we could do right now together that would help our economy -- right now.  Now, the good news is, over the past 44 months our businesses have created 7.8 million new jobs.  Since I took office, we’ve cut the deficits in half.  (Applause.)  That’s right.  By the way, you wouldn’t know this sometimes listening to folks on TV, but the deficits are going down, they're not going up.  They've been cut in half.  (Applause.)  And they keep on going down. 

Over the past three years, health care costs have risen at the slowest pace on record.  Exports are up.  The housing market is up.  The American auto industry is roaring back.  So we’ve got a lot of good things to build on, but we’ve got a lot more work to do.  And what we should start doing, the first thing we should do is stop doing things that undermine our businesses and our economy over the past few years -- this constant cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds that have been coming out of Washington. 

For example, we learned yesterday that over the summer, our economy grew at its fastest pace in a year.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that the very day that the economic quarter ended, some folks in Washington decided to shut down the government and threatened to default on America’s obligations for the first time in more than 200 years.  And it’s like the gears of our economy, every time they are just about to take off, suddenly somebody taps the brakes and says, “Not so fast.”

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Tell it!  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, our businesses are resilient.  We’ve got great workers.  And so, as a consequence, we added about 200,000 new jobs last month.  But there’s no question that the shutdown harmed our jobs market.  The unemployment rate still ticked up.  And we don't yet know all the data for this final quarter of the year, but it could be down because of what happened in Washington.  Now, that makes no sense.  These self-inflicted wounds don't have to happen.  They should not happen again. 

We should not be injuring ourselves every few months -- we should be investing in ourselves.  We should be building, not tearing things down.  Rather than refighting the same old battles again and again and again, we should be fighting to make sure everybody who works hard in America and hard right here in New Orleans, that they have a chance to get ahead.  That's what we should be focused on.  (Applause.)

Which brings me to one of the reasons I’m here at this port.  One of the things we should be focused on is helping more businesses sell more products to the rest of the world.  And the only way those products get out is through facilities like this.  Right now, exports are one of the brightest spots in our economy.  Thanks in part to new trade deals that we signed with countries like Panama and Colombia and South Korea, we now export more goods and services than ever before.  And that means jobs right here in the United States of America.

Last year, every $1 billion in exports supports nearly 5,000 jobs, including jobs right here at this port.  So we’re working on new trade deals that will mean more jobs for our workers, and more business for ports like this one.

And, by the way, when I travel around the world, I’m out there selling.  I’ll go anywhere in the world to make sure that those products stamped with those words, “Made in America,” that we can open up those markets and sell them anywhere.  (Applause.)

So helping American businesses grow; creating more jobs --  these are not Democratic or Republican priorities.  They are priorities that everybody, regardless of party, should be able to get behind.  And that’s why, in addition to working with Congress to grow our exports, I’ve put forward additional ideas where I believe Democrats and Republicans can join together to make progress right now.

Number one, Congress needs to pass a farm bill that helps rural communities grow and protects vulnerable Americans.  For decades, Congress found a way to compromise and pass farm bills without fuss.  For some reason, now Congress can't even get that done.  Now, this is not something that just benefits farmers.  Ports like this one depend on all the products coming down the Mississippi.  So let’s do the right thing, pass a farm bill.  We can start selling more products.  That's more business for this port.  And that means more jobs right here.  (Applause.)

Number two, we should fix our broken immigration system.  (Applause.)  This would be good for our national security, but it would also be good for our economic security.  Over the next two decades, it would grow our economy by $1.4 trillion.  It would shrink our deficits by nearly a trillion dollars.  This should not be a partisan issue.  President Bush proposed the broad outlines of common-sense immigration reform almost a decade ago.  When I was in the Senate, I joined 23 of my Republican colleagues to back those reforms.  This year, the Senate has already passed a bill with broad bipartisan support. 

So all we’re doing now is waiting for the House to act.  I don't know what the holdup is.  But if there's a good reason not to do it, I haven't heard it.  There's no reason both parties can’t come together and get this done this year.  Get it done this year.  (Applause.)   

Number three, Democrats and Republicans should work together on a responsible budget that sets America on a stronger course for the future.  We shouldn’t get caught up in the same old fights.  And we shouldn’t just cut things just for the sake of cutting things.  Remember, I want to remind you -- what's happening in the deficits?  They're going down.  They're shrinking.  They're falling faster than they have in 60 years.

So what we have to do now is do what America has always done:  Make some wise investments in our people and in our country that will help us grow over the long term.  We should close wasteful tax loopholes that don’t help our jobs, don't grow our economy, and then invest that money in things that actually do create jobs and grow our economy.  And one of those things is building new roads and bridges and schools and ports.  That creates jobs.  (Applause.)  It puts people to work during the construction phase.  And then it creates an infrastructure for our economy to succeed moving forward.

Educating our kids, training our workers so they’re prepared for the global economy -- that helps us grow.  We should be investing in that.  And Mayor Landrieu has been doing a great job in improving education here in New Orleans.  (Applause.)

  Investing in science and research and technology -- that keeps our businesses and our military at our cutting edge.  That’s the kind of investment we should be making. 

I mean, think about our infrastructure.  In today’s global economy, businesses are going to take root and grow wherever there's the fastest, most reliable transportation and communications networks -- they can go anywhere.  So China is investing a lot in infrastructure.  Europe is investing a whole lot in infrastructure.  And Brazil is investing a whole lot in infrastructure.  What are we doing?

We're doing some good things locally here.  The state and city are trying to do some work, but nationally we're falling behind.  We're relying on old stuff.  I don't think we should have just old stuff.  We should have some new stuff that is going to help us grow and keep pace with global competition.  

Rebuilding our transportation and communications networks is one of the fastest ways to create good jobs.  And consider that just a couple of years from now, we're going to have new supertankers that are going to start coming through the Panama Canal, and these tankers can hold three times as much cargo as today’s.  If a port can’t handle those supertankers, they’ll go load and unload cargo somewhere else.  So there’s work that we can start doing in terms of dredging and making the passageways deeper, which means the supertankers can have more stuff on them, which means they can unload and load more stuff, which makes this port more competitive.

So why wouldn’t we put people to work upgrading them?  (Applause.)  Why wouldn’t we do that?  It’s not just our ports either.  One in nine of our bridges is rated structurally deficient.  More than 40 percent of our major highways are congested; so is our airspace.  Everybody who’s sitting on a tarmac wondering why it is that you’re not taking off, and getting aggravated when you go fly someplace, part of the reason is we’ve got this antiquated air traffic control system.  We need the next generation air traffic control system.  It would reduce time travel; it would reduce delays.  It reduces fuel costs for airlines.  It reduces pollution in the sky.  We know how to do it, we just haven’t done it.

That shouldn’t be a Democratic or a Republican issue.  That’s just smart to go ahead and do it.  Something that people  across the political spectrum should be able to agree on.  Now, here’s the thing:  All these opportunities and challenges, they’re not going to magically fix themselves.  We’ve got to do it.  And anybody who says we can’t afford to pay for these things needs to realize we’re already paying for them. 

I’ll give you an example.  A lot of trucking companies now reroute their shipments to avoid traffic and unsafe bridges.  So they’re going longer than they need to; that costs them money.  So you’re paying for it.  Those costs then get passed on to consumers.  Or it means companies aren’t making as much of a profit and maybe they’ve got fewer employees.  So directly or indirectly, we’re paying for it.  And the longer we delay, the more we’ll pay.

But the sooner we take care of business, the better.  And I know that if there’s one thing that members of Congress from both parties want, it’s smart infrastructure projects that create good jobs in their districts.

That’s why, last year, I took the step without Congress to speed up the permitting process for big infrastructure projects like upgrading our ports.  Just cut through the red tape.  Get it done faster.  This year, rebuilding our infrastructure could be part of a bipartisan budget deal.  A couple months ago, I put forward an idea to try to break through some of the old arguments -- a grand bargain for middle-class jobs.  And what I said was, we’ll simplify our corporate tax code, close some wasteful tax loopholes, end incentives to ship jobs overseas, lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here in the United States, and use some of the money we save by switching to a smarter tax system to create good construction jobs building the things that our businesses need right here in America.  It’s a pretty sensible deal.  (Applause.)

So if we took that step, we could modernize our air traffic control system to keep planes running on time; modernize our power grids and pipelines so they survive storms; modernize our schools to prepare our kids for jobs of the future; modernize our ports so they can accommodate the new ships.  

The point is, rebuilding our infrastructure or educating our kids, funding basic research -- they are not partisan issues, they're American issues.  There used to be a broad consensus that these things were important to our economy.  And we’ve got to get back to that mindset.  We’ve got to move forward on these things together.  It doesn't mean that there aren’t going to be disagreements on a whole bunch of stuff, but let’s work on the things we agree on. 

Now, I’m going to make one last point, one area where we haven’t made much bipartisan progress -- at least not as much as I’d like -- is fixing our broken health care system.  (Applause.)

And I took up this cause knowing it was hard -- there was a reason why no other President had done it -- to make sure every American has access to quality, affordable health care, and to make sure that no American ever again has to fear one illness is going to bankrupt them.  (Applause.)

And the work we’ve already done has resulted in, over the past three years, health care costs rising at the slowest pace on record.  Health care costs for businesses are growing about one-third of the rate they were a decade ago, and we want those trends to continue.

Now, we’ve had this problem with the website.  I’m not happy about that.  But we’re working overtime to make sure that it gets fixed, because right now we’ve put in place a system, a marketplace, where people can get affordable health care plans.  I promise you nobody has been more frustrated.  I want to go in and fix it myself, but I don't write code, so -- (laughter).

But to every American with a preexisting condition who’s been waiting for the day they could be covered just like everybody else, for folks who couldn’t afford to buy their own insurance because they don't get it on the job, we’re going to fix the website.  Because the insurance plans are there.  They are good, and millions of Americans are already finding that they’ll gain better coverage for less cost, and it’s the right thing to do.  (Applause.)

Now, I know that's -- I know health care is controversial, so there’s only going to be so much support we get on that on a bipartisan basis -- until it’s working really well, and then they're going to stop calling it Obamacare.  (Laughter and applause.)  They're going to call it something else.

One thing, though, I was talking to your mayor and your governor about, though, is a separate issue, which is one of the things that the Affordable Care Act does is allow states to expand Medicaid to cover more of their citizens.  (Applause.)

And here in Louisiana, that would benefit about 265,000 people.  And already you’ve seen states -- Arkansas has covered -- taken this up, and they're covering almost 14 percent of their uninsured.  Republican governors in states like Ohio and Nevada, Arizona, they're doing it, too.  Oregon has already reduced the number of uninsured by about 10 percent.  And some of these folks opposed Obamacare, but they did support helping their citizens who can’t get coverage. 

So we want to work with everybody -- mayor, governor, insurance -- whoever it is that wants to work with us here in Louisiana to make sure that even if you don't support the overall plan, let’s at least go ahead and make sure that the folks who don't have health insurance right now can get it through an expanded Medicaid.  Let’s make sure we do that.  (Applause.)  It’s the right thing to do.

And one of the reasons to do it is -- I’ve said this before; sometimes people don't fully appreciate it -- we already pay for the health care of people who don't have health insurance, we just pay for the most expensive version, which is when they go to the emergency room.  Because what happens is, the hospitals have to take sick folk.  They're not just going to leave them on the streets.  But people who are sick, they wait until the very last minute.  It's much more expensive to treat them.  Hospitals have to figure out how to get their money back, which means they jack up costs for everybody who does have health insurance by about $1,000 per family. 

So, as a consequence, what happens is you're already paying a hidden tax for a broken health care system.  Community hospitals struggle to care for the uninsured who can't pay their bills when they get sick.  So it's the right thing to do for the health of our economies as a whole.  It is a practical, pragmatic reason to do it.  It has nothing to do with politics or ideology.  And the more states that are working together, Democrats and Republicans, the better off we're going to be. 

So the bottom line is, New Orleans, we can work together to do these things, because we’ve done them before.  We did not become the greatest nation on Earth just by chance, just by accident.  We had some advantages -- really nice real estate here in the United States.  But what we also had were people who despite their differences -- and we come from everywhere and look different and have different traditions -- we understand that this country works best when we're working together.  And we decided to do what was necessary for our businesses and our families to succeed.  And if we did it in the past, we can do it again. 

So let's make it easier for more businesses to expand and grow and sell more goods made in America to the rest of the world.  Let’s make sure we’ve got the best ports and roads and bridges and schools.  Let’s make sure our young people are getting a great education.  Let’s give everybody a chance to get ahead, not just a few at the top, but everybody -- (applause) -- because if we do that, if we help our businesses grow and our communities thrive and our children reach a little higher, then the economy is going to grow faster. 

We'll rebuild our middle class stronger.  The American Dream will be real and achievable not just for a few, but for everybody -- not just today, but for decades to come.  That's what we're fighting for.  That's what you're all about here at this port and here in New Orleans.  And I'm looking forward to working with you to make sure we keep that up. 

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

END
12:55 P.M. CST

Remarks by the President At DSCC Event

Private Residence
Dallas, Texas

7:00 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you so much.  Everybody have a seat, have a seat.

It is true, I remember being in this house with Peter and Lisa.  (Laughter.)  Now, I did not recall having Peter and Lisa’s three young sons, who are now towering over many of us.  (Laughter.)  So it is a chronicle of how much time has passed.  But Peter and Lisa have been great friends to the Democratic Party, to the Senate, efforts that we’ve had for a very long time.  And we just want to say thank you for your incredible hospitality and friendship.  It means a lot.  (Applause.)

A couple of other people I want to acknowledge.  First of all, your outstanding Mayor, Mike Rawlings, is in the house.  (Applause.)  Your former mayor and my golf buddy, Ron Kirk, is gone.  (Laughter.)  I’m tempted to talk about him while he’s not here.  (Laughter.)  But it might get back to him, so I’m not going to say anything about him other than obviously we love him. 
And you have with you here today somebody who I genuinely consider one of the best public servants in the country, period, and the fact that he took on this thankless job of running around the country, helping to raise money and recruit outstanding candidates for the Senate is just a testimony to not only how much respect everybody in the Senate has for him, but also his willingness to work hard on behalf of the greater good.  So we love Michael Bennet -- Senator from Colorado.  (Applause.)

Lisa’s really generous introduction did remind me of a story that may be apocryphal, but I like to think it’s true.  Some of you who saw the movie “Lincoln” know that back in the day, when Honest Abe was President, there were visiting hours at the White House.  And so constituents who happened to come through Washington, they’d wait their turn and there were office hours essentially for the President, and somebody could come in and they could ask for a postmaster’s appointment or some other appointment.

And one day, a guy comes in -- very exercised -- and he says, “You need to understand, Mr. Lincoln, that I’ve worked for you.  I was a delegate in the nomination.  Nobody is more responsible for getting you elected as President than I am.  And I expect you to remember that.”  And Lincoln looked up from his desk and he said, “Sir, I forgive you.”  (Laughter.) 

Now, I don’t know if Lisa needs forgiveness -- (laughter) -- for having convinced me to do this.  But the longer I’m in this office, the more humbled I am by the incredible privilege of serving.  And one of the great things about being President is you get to see the whole country, and you get to meet everybody and you get to hear from everybody.  And not everything you hear is going to be flattering to you, but you really see the panorama of American life. 

And I was talking to Michael as we were flying over here about the frustrations and challenges that we’ve experienced in Congress.  But I’ve got to tell you I’m actually more optimistic now than when I ran.  Now, that may seem puzzling to some folks, because obviously I’ve got a bunch of dings and bruises and gray hair to show for everything that’s happened over the last five years.  But there is a goodness and decency at the core of the American people that sooner or later ends up coming to the fore. 
And you see this in their communities and in their workplaces and in their places of worship.  And the more I’m in this office, the more my goal is to simply reflect in our government that same core decency and goodness and fellow feeling that Americans feel towards each other, and their resilience and their strength and their capacity. 

Now, when I look back over the last five years, the amount we’ve gotten done is actually pretty remarkable.  We came in at a time when the country was careening towards a Great Depression, and we were able to arrest it.  And now, over the last three and a half years, we’ve seen 7.5 million new jobs created.  We were able to reform our financial system so that the likelihood of taxpayer-funded bailouts is a lot less than it was.  We were able to expand funding for young people going to college.  We were able to expand national service for young people who want to serve.  We fought long and hard for consumer protections that weren’t there before. 

As Lisa mentioned, we are remaking the courts.  I know that we’ve got some lawyers here, and here in Texas sometimes people feel a little frustrated about the pace of appointments here in Texas.  But you should know that in addition to the Supreme Court, we’ve been able to nominate and confirm judges of extraordinary quality all across the country on federal benches. We’re actually, when it comes to the district court, matching the pace of previous Presidents.  When it comes to the appellate court, we’re just a little bit behind, and we’re just going to keep on focused on it.

And so in ways large and small, we’ve been able to have a substantial impact, and the country is better off than it was when we came in.  But what I also know -- and this is also something Michael and I talked about -- is that we’ve sure got a lot of work to do. 

The nature of the economy, because of globalization and technology, has changed.  And so although some of us are doing better than ever before -- probably better than any group of individuals in human history -- we also have a middle class that is anxious and scared, and have not fully recovered from that recession.  We now have a couple of decades in which income and wages are stagnant, even though those at the very top are doing better than ever.  Folks are worried about whether their children can match the same upward mobility and success that they achieved.  There are pockets of poverty all across this country that have been stubbornly resistant to the programs that have been put in place.

And so in the three years that I have remaining, I am intent on squeezing every last bit of possibility to make sure that we’re moving this country forward -- to make us more competitive; to put business in a position to succeed; to make sure we’re creating more jobs; that we’re exporting more; that we stay on the cutting-edge of science and research; that we educate our kids better than anybody else in the world does; and that our kids aren’t loaded down with debt when they get that high-quality education; that we keep our people safe; that having wound down two wars, we make sure that we are judicious in terms of how we use military force around the world.  So we’ve still got a lot of stuff on our agenda. 

Now, all this stuff is achievable.  And, in fact, almost everything we’ve proposed garners majority support from the American people.  When we talk about immigration reform, just to take one example, and an example that has a big impact here in Texas, we’ve got the business community, we’ve got clergy, we’ve got law enforcement, we’ve got educators all looking at the fact that comprehensive immigration reform -- fixing a broken system
-- can be transformative.  We could increase our economic growth by well over a trillion dollars.  We could reduce our deficits by $800 million.  We could make sure that every young person who’s already in this country is able to achieve their dreams and continue to renew this great American story.  And we’ve got bipartisan support. 

When it comes to most of the agenda that we’ve put forward
-- whether it’s having a sensible fiscal policy that deals with our long-term debt challenges but still makes investments in education; when it comes to early-childhood education, because we know the science tells us that if young people are getting that good head start, that they’re more likely to succeed and fewer folks are likely to end up in prison or out of work, and that our society saves money in the long term -- all those things have majority support. 

So what’s missing in our agenda is not that we aren’t aligned with the American people.  It’s not that we’re proposing things that are too far left or out of the mainstream.  It has to do with the fact that we’ve got a Congress right now that’s been dysfunctional.  And the truth is that the only way that we are going to move this country forward so it can adapt to this rapidly changing world is if we have folks in Congress who want to get stuff done and are basing decisions not on short-term politics, but on the evidence, on facts, on what's best for us long term, who are thinking about the next generation and not just the next election. 

And there are some Republicans who I think feel that way, but, unfortunately, their voices are drowned out in their party right now.  We know -- Michael and I could name you, although we wouldn’t do it in front of the press -- (laughter) --

SENATOR BENNET:  I did it before you got here.  (Laughter.) 
THE PRESIDENT:  But we could name for you a whole bunch of Republicans who are good and decent people who are as frustrated as we are in some ways about what's happened to their party.  But right now at least, there's a group that -- and a few of them are from Texas, I've got to admit -- (laughter) -- who just aren't willing to do the hard work and the compromise necessary to move the country forward. 

And so, in that environment, it is absolutely critical that we transform Congress.  (Applause.)  And that’s not going to happen without you.  That is not going to happen without you.  Because the way the political system works right now, it is biased and skewed away from common sense.  The electorate has gotten more polarized, the media has gotten more polarized.  Being extreme, being controversial tends to get you on TV and get your name out there.  If you're just being sensible and saying, well, let's try to work together across the aisle, then you know you're going to live in obscurity.  (Laughter.)  Because of super PACs now, the capacity for just a handful of folks to influence elections and to diminish the role of democracy and ordinary voters has never been greater.

And so we're going to need folks like you to step up and make sure that we can go out there and tackle the problems that are so important to tackle.  Now, the great thing is, is that, in part because of Michael Bennet, we just recruited some outstanding candidates for the Senate.  And we've got some incumbents who have been heroic and courageous under very difficult circumstances.  But they're going to need help.  And if we don’t give them the help that they need, then we could end up with a situation in which we've got a majority Republican Senate, along with a majority Republican House.  And if you think things are gridlocked and challenging right now, wait until that happens

So we're going to have to push.  This is not going to just fall in our laps.  The map is difficult for the Senate this year. And the good news is I'm confident that if our candidates are well-funded and you guys and your friends and colleagues not just here but across Texas and across the country are doing what you can do, I think we're going to win.  I think we'll do well. 

And let me just wrap up by using two separate examples of both the challenges and the opportunities.  The first is with the shutdown.  We had not only a shutdown of several weeks, we had the possibility of defaulting for the first time in 200 years.  That is not a mainstream -- or at least ,historically, has not been a mainstream Republican position.  That’s not a business-friendly position.  That’s a radical position, and it's a destructive position. 

And, frankly, I think there were a whole bunch of Republican senators, at least, and a number of House members who knew it was a bad idea, but because of the dynamic in their party right now, they felt obliged to go along with that kind of strategy.  Well, we've got to liberate those reality-based Republicans from some of the extreme impulses in that party.  And part of the way is doing that is sending a clear message:  This is not how we govern.  This is not what America is about.  We can have disagreements on budget.  We can have disagreements on policy.  But what we don’t do is hurt the American people or the American economy just for an ideological point. 

But if they don't see a cost for those kinds of strategies, then they’ll keep doing it.  And the only way to extract a cost when it comes to politicians is during election time. 

Now, I’ll give you the second example of what precipitated  -- according to at least one senator from Texas -- the necessity for the shutdown, and that is the Affordable Care Act.  Now, I think it’s fair to say that right now I am not happy with some IT people in Washington.  (Laughter.)  The website has not functioned.  Nobody is angrier than I am about it.  And we’ve got to make sure that we get it fixed, and we’re going to get it fixed by the end of this month.

But what the Mayor and I were just talking about when we went over to Temple Emanu-El -- because we had a whole bunch of volunteers there -- is to remind everybody what’s at stake here. In the State of Texas, you've got more uninsured people than anyplace in the country.  Higher percentage of people are uninsured here than anywhere else.  Setting the website aside, if the Governor and the legislature chose to do so, right now they could insure a million people in Texas.   A million people could have health insurance; 133,000 could have health insurance in Dallas alone -- 133,000 people who right now aren’t getting regular checkups, don't have the capacity to deal with chronic illnesses, end up in the emergency room, cost every one of you money in terms of higher premiums because the hospitals and providers got to get their money back from somewhere.  And the only reason we’re not doing it is ideology.

It’s not a technical problem.  That's not a website problem. That's just a decision we’re not going to expand Medicaid despite the fact that it is a good deal for the State of Texas.

Neighboring Arkansas has reduced its uninsured by 14 percent in the last month just by expanding Medicaid.  Oregon reduced it by 10 percent.  Why wouldn’t the State of Texas want to do the same thing?  Well, it’s because ideology has taken precedence over common sense and helping people. 

In each instance, the question is going to be whether that kind of bullheadedness, that kind of strategy is rewarded.  I don't think it should be.  And I don't think -- I don't even think it’s a Democratic or Republican issue.  I think this is an issue of what kind of country do we want to live in.  Why would we purposely want to make sure that people don't have health insurance?

The website will get fixed.  The insurance plans that are out there for people for the first time are going to save lives and save people money.  But that attitude is something that we’ve got to change, and you have the power to change it. 

So, just to finish up here, whether you’re here because you care about federal courts, you care about women’s reproductive freedom, whether you care about making sure every child is educated, whether you're concerned about making sure that we’ve got a safety net for our seniors, whether you’re concerned about staying on the forefront of research and science, whether you’re concerned about making sure our veterans are properly cared for, whatever it is that brings you here -- or whether you just came here because Peter told you to -- (laughter) -- more importantly, Lisa told you to -- (laughter) -- the stakes are high.  And it’s not easy. 

Sometimes I worry because everybody had such a fun experience in ’08, at least that's how it seemed in retrospect.  (Laughter.)   And, “yes, we can,” and the slogans and the posters, et cetera, sometimes I worry that people forget change in this country has always been hard.  Every step of the way -- women’s rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, Medicare, Social Security, everything we value in terms of making sure that everybody has a fair shot in this country required a fight.  And it was bumpy, and it was difficult, and it was controversial.  But over time, we got it done.

And that got done not just because of who was President at any given time.  It got done not just because of brilliant policy.  It got done because ordinary folks decided they were going to fight for it, and they supported candidates who were willing to fight as well.  And that struggle continues.  That journey continues.  And I’m just glad that I’ve got all of you along for the ride.

Thank you.  I appreciate you.  (Applause.)

END  
7:24 P.M. CST

Remarks by the First Lady at Diwali Celebration

Blue Room

4:07 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, everyone.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Oh, my goodness.  Please rest.  Welcome!  Happy Diwali. 

AUDIENCE:  Happy Diwali.

MRS. OBAMA:  It is a pleasure and an honor to welcome you all here as we celebrate Diwali.  I want to start by thanking Lt. Colonel Chaudhary for his very kind introduction, but more importantly, for his outstanding service to our country.  I also want to recognize Kiran Ahuja, who is working very hard in this administration, for her leadership. 

And I want to give a special hello and thank you to Nakul, who is here.  I know he is in his jeans and t-shirt now, but -- (laughter) -- there's Nakul.  But we got to practice a little Bollywood this afternoon.  (Laughter.)  And we have many of the young people who were there with us today.  We -- (laughter) -- got moves, right?  (Applause.) 

But Nakul is here from one of my favorite shows on the planet – “So You Think You Can Dance.”  It is.  And, of course, as you all know, I think I can dance.  (Laughter.)  But not as good as they can dance.  But we had a wonderful time, and I think, as Nakul pointed out, it was the first time that we did Bollywood in the State Room here at the White House.  (Applause.)  So well done, to all my fellow dancers.

So thank you, Nakul.  Thank you for joining us.  We had a wonderful time, didn’t we, kids?  All the -- hands of the kids who were there.  We had fun!  (Applause.)  It was fun!  And they did a great job.  They did a wonderful job.

As you may know, we’ve celebrated this holiday here at the White House every year since Barack took office.  And there’s a reason why we've done that, and I mentioned it to the kids -- when we say that we want to make the White House the “people’s house,” we mean all people.  We mean that we want to honor and embrace all of the many cultures and faith traditions that make us who we are as Americans.  And Diwali is very much one of those traditions. 

As you know, this holiday is celebrated by members of some of the world’s oldest religions not just here in America but across the globe.  Diwali is a time for celebration.  So we learned today -- children, all smiles.  (Laughter.)  Smiles.  As Barack and I learned during our visit to India, it’s a time to come together with friends and family, often with dancing and good food. 

But Diwali is also a time for contemplation and reflection.  It’s a time for us to think about our obligations to our fellow human beings, particularly those who are less fortunate than we are.  And as we light the diya -- the lamp -- we recommit ourselves to the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil. 

But as we gather here this Diwali, we remember that there is still evil in the world.  And I’m thinking today about what happened in Oak Creek, Wisconsin just last year when an act of unthinkable violence shook a community to its core.  But I am also thinking of how in the face of such evil, we also witnessed the power of goodness and forgiveness.

The families and community leaders I met when I visited Oak Creek just weeks after the tragedy, they showed us such courage and grace.  Instead of giving in to bitterness or despair, they honored those they lost through service.  They honored those they lost through educating others about their faith and standing up to prejudice in whatever form it takes.  I’m also thinking of all the people across America and around the world who held prayer vigils during that time and sent messages of love and support, and held the people of Oak Creek in their hearts. 

And finally, today, as we further reflect upon the power of courage and grace, I am also thinking of all of the women and men of every faith and background who are serving and enriching this country so greatly every single day -- folks like Lt. Colonel Chaudhary, and so many men and women here today who are serving our countries as well as their families, who serve right along with them and make that service possible.  I'm thinking about all of you today. 

I'm also thinking about folks like Nakul, and the members of Goldspot, who are leaders in the arts and bring us joy through music and dance.  (Applause.)  I'm also thinking of folks like Kiran, and so many others who are in leadership in this administration, who make our work so completely possible through their dedication. 

All of you, all of you here, all of you around the world, you all are the bright shining lights for this country and such extraordinary role models for all of the young people who are here with us today.  And I want our young people, as you sit in this room, to think about all these wonderful role models are doing and how it is our expectation that you too live up to that, right, with smiles on your faces.  (Laughter.) 

And I am so proud and so honored to be celebrating this beautiful holiday at the White House with all of you.  I want to thank you for everything that you do for our communities and for this country.  And I wish you all and all your loved ones a Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak.  (Applause.)

And with that, we will now light the White House Diya.

END
4:41 P.M. EST