The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 13, 2013

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Strengthening our Economy by Passing Bipartisan Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said that two weeks ago, a large bipartisan majority in the Senate voted to pass commonsense immigration reform, which would add a big boost to our economy, strengthen Social Security, and modernize our legal immigration system to make it more consistent with our values.  The President urges Congress to quickly take action to fix our broken immigration system and keep America strong for years to come.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, July 13, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
July 13, 2013

Hi, everybody.  Two weeks ago, a large bipartisan majority of Senators voted to pass commonsense, comprehensive immigration reform – taking an important step towards fixing our broken immigration system once and for all.

This bill was a compromise, and neither side got everything they wanted.  But it was largely consistent with the key principles of commonsense reform that most of us in both parties have repeatedly laid out.  If passed, the Senate’s plan would build on the historic gains we’ve made in border security over the past four years with the most aggressive border security plan in our history.  It would offer a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million people who are in this country illegally – a pathway that includes paying penalties, learning English, and going to the end of the line behind everyone trying to come here legally.  And it would modernize our legal immigration system to make it more consistent with our values.

The Senate’s plan would also provide a big boost to our recovery.  And on Wednesday, we released a report detailing exactly how big a boost that would be. 

The report is based on the findings of independent, nonpartisan economists and experts who concluded that, if the Senate’s plan becomes law, our economy will be 5% larger in two decades compared to the status quo.  That’s $1.4 trillion added to our economy just by fixing our immigration system.

Here in America, we’ve always been a nation of immigrants.  That’s what’s kept our workforce dynamic, our businesses on the cutting edge, and our economy the strongest in the world.   But under the current system, too many smart, hardworking immigrants are prevented from contributing to that success.

Immigration reform would make it easier for highly-skilled immigrants and those who study at our colleges and universities to start businesses and create jobs right here in America.   Foreign companies would be more likely to invest here.  The demand for goods and services would go up – creating more jobs for American workers.  Every worker and business would be required to pay their fair share in taxes, reducing our deficit by nearly $850 billion over the next two decades.  And since a large portion of those taxes go towards retirement programs that millions of Americans depend on, Social Security would actually get stronger over the long-term – adding two years to the life of the program’s trust fund.

That’s what immigration reform would mean for our economy – but only if we act.  If we don’t do anything to fix our broken system, our workforce will continue to shrink as baby boomers retire.  We won’t benefit from highly-skilled immigrants starting businesses and creating jobs here.  American workers will have to make due with lower wages and fewer protections.  And without more immigrants and businesses paying their fair share in taxes, our deficit will be higher and programs like Social Security will be under more strain.

We’ve been debating this issue for more than a decade – ever since President Bush first proposed the broad outlines of immigration reform – and I think he gave a very good speech this past week expressing his hope that a bipartisan, comprehensive bill can become law. 

If Democrats and Republicans – including President Bush and I – can agree on something, that’s a pretty good place to start.  Now the House needs to act so I can sign commonsense immigration reform into law.  And if you agree, tell your Representatives that now is the time.  Call or email or post on their Facebook walls and ask them to get this done.  Because together, we can grow our economy and keep America strong for years to come.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

###

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 10, 2013

Remarks by the President in Presentation of the 2012 Medals of Arts and the Medals of Humanities

East Room

2:16 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you. (Applause.)  Hey!  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  See, everybody is cheering because I've bought their books, I've seen their movies, I buy their records.  (Laughter.)  So we're major contributors here.
 
Well, hello, everybody, and welcome to the White House.  Thank you for joining us to celebrate the recipients of the 2012 -- because I guess this is retrospective -- National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medals.
 
One of the special privileges of this office is getting a chance to honor individuals who’ve played an important role in my life as well as in the nation’s life.  And that’s what today is all about -- celebrating some extraordinary men and women who’ve used their talents in the arts and the humanities to open up minds and nourish souls, and help us understand what it means to be human, and what it means to be an American.
 
I want to give some special thanks to the people who help to preserve and to support that cultural legacy -- the Acting Chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Joan Shigekawa.  Give Joan a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Where is she?  There she is.  And her predecessor, the irrepressible Rocco Landesman -- (applause) -- as well as the Acting Chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Carole Watson.  (Applause.)  Both organizations do an incredible job lifting up some of today’s best artists and scholars, and helping to cultivate the next generation of talent and intellect.
 
And I’d like to also acknowledge the co-chairs of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, George Stevens, Jr. -- where’s George?  There he is.  (Applause.)  As well as Margo Lion -- where’s Margo?  Good to see you.  (Applause.)  As well as members of Congress who are here today, all of whom support the arts.
 
But we are primarily here to acknowledge these incredible individuals.  And, frankly, this is just fun for me because I feel like I know you all because I've enjoyed your performances; your writings have fundamentally changed me -- I think for the better, Marilynne.  I believe that.
 
At first glance, this is a pretty diverse group.  We’ve got incredible singers and dancers; we have poets and producers; musicians, playwrights, scholars.   They come from all across the country, all around the world.  And yet, for all their differences, today’s honorees have one thing in common -- and that is they are teachers.  Whether they realize it or not, they’ve taught us about ourselves and about our world.
 
American philosopher Will Durant once wrote, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”  And that's an extraordinary skill -- to tell the untold stories of history; to reveal the sculpture that's waiting there in a block of stone; to transform written music into song; to make it look like those planes in space are actually flying like they are.  (Laughter.)  I'm just saying, I remember when I first saw Star Wars.  (Laughter.)  There’s a whole generation that thinks special effects always look like they do today.  (Laughter.)  But it used to be you’d see, like, the string -- (laughter) -- on the little model spaceships.  Anyway, I'm being led astray.  (Laughter.)   
 
Because the arts and the humanities aren’t just a source of entertainment, they challenge us to think and to question and to discover, to seek that inward significance -- and that helps us grow and to change and to reach new heights, and to understand each other at a time when the world is constantly crying for the capacity to bridge that gap and speak to people who aren't like us.
 
And that’s exactly what these artists and these humanists have done -- by working hard, developing their craft, following their dreams, never giving up. 
 
Somebody like Allen Toussaint, who is being honored here for his incredible contributions to the rhythm and blues and jazz music of his beloved New Orleans.  After his hometown was battered by Katrina and Allen was forced to evacuate, he did something even more important for his city -- he went back.  And since then, Allen has devoted his musical talent to lifting up and building up a city.  And today, he’s taking the stage all over the world, with all kinds of incredible talent, doing everything he can to revive the legendary soul of the Big Easy.
 
Somebody like Ernest Gaines, who grew up as the descendent of sharecroppers in the South and farming the same land as his ancestors.  He did not let that define his future.  Instead, he took that experience and used it to help fill in gaps in American literature with the stories of African American life.  And then, Ernest moved back to Louisiana, onto the very same land he and his family had once worked.  And he spent more than 20 years teaching college students to find their own voices and reclaiming some of the stories of their own families and their own lives.
 
Somebody like Joan Didion, who, rightly, has earned distinction as one of most celebrated American writers of her generation.  I’m surprised she hasn’t already gotten this award. (Laughter.)  But in her early years, she was in school only sporadically, basically taught herself how to read while she and her family followed her Army officer father around the country.  She obviously learned quickly.  She won a contest for Vogue in college; gave up her dream of being an oceanographer, writing became her world.  And today, decades into her career, she remains one of our sharpest and most respected observers of American politics and culture.
 
What’s true for those three is true for all the recipients here.  So many of you have touched me and touched Michelle, and now we’re trying to get them to -- Malia and Sasha to see some of Anna’s work, or read “The Iliad*” because we want to share that, because we think it was important to us.
 
And we celebrate people like our honorees here today not just because of their talent, but because they create something new.  They create a new space and that becomes a lasting contribution to American life.  And that’s true for all of these honorees.
 
So together, the men and women with us today have helped us appreciate individual talent, but as I said earlier, they’ve also helped us to bridge our differences -- to recognize all the things we share as Americans, whether it’s arts or humanities or sports. 
 
Frank, I grew up reading Sports Illustrated, and I think it was very good for me.  I don't know about you.  (Laughter.)  Because all these endeavors, they don't discriminate, they don't prejudge -- they speak to all of us equally if we’re open to it. They’re part of all of our common heritage.  They convey all these distinct voices and emotions and stories, and that's us.  That's who we are.  
 
So for more than 200 years that culture has helped shape our views of democracy and freedom and tolerance and progress.  Sometimes the observations or the incredible art or scholarship that’s been done by these honorees are overlooked, but somewhere they’re having an impact.  And like Bobby Kennedy talked about, they create “ripples of hope.”  They’re like stones in a lake, and it emanates, and we never know exactly how, or who, will be touched by it.  But it makes a difference.  And it’s made us better. 
 
And the work that we honor today, the lifetime achievement of these artists and these scholars, reminds us that the human imagination is still the most powerful tool that we have as a people.  That’s why we celebrate their creativity and the fundamental optimism, the notion that if they work that hard somebody will actually pay attention.  That’s why we have to remain committed to the dreamers and the creators and innovators who fuel that progress and help us light the way ahead, because our children, our grandchildren deserve to grow up in a country where their dreams know no bounds and their ambitions extend as far as their talents and hard work can take them.  And it’s important that they have examples -- people who’ve carved out a path for them. 
 
So I want to thank today’s honorees for doing their part to foster that spirit, to enrich our entire nation.  Every one of them has helped us see beyond outward appearances and appreciate the significance of what’s within.  And for that we are incredibly grateful.
 
So it is now my privilege to present these medals to each of them as one of our military aides reads their citations.  (Applause.)
 
(The citations are read and the medals are awarded.)
 
MILITARY AIDE:  National Medal of Arts recipients: 
 
Herb Alpert.  (Applause.)  For his varied contributions to music and the fine arts.  The musician behind Tijuana Brass phenomenon and co-founder of A&M Records, which launched several storied careers, Mr. Alpert is also a philanthropist who shares the power of arts education with young people across our country. (Applause.)
 
Lin Arison.  (Applause.)  For her contributions as a philanthropist and arts education advocate.  Co-founder of the National YoungArts Foundation and the New World Symphony, Ms. Arison’s work celebrates, showcases, and supports the next generation of great American artists.  (Applause.)
 
Joan Myers Brown.  (Applause.)  For her contributions as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director.  Founder of the Philadelphia Dance Company, Ms. Brown carved out an artistic haven for African American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create, and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities.  (Applause.)
 
Renée Fleming.  (Applause.)  For her contributions to American music.  Known to many as “the people’s diva,” Ms. Fleming has captivated audiences around the world with an adventurous repertoire spanning opera and the classical tradition to jazz and contemporary pop.  (Applause.)
 
Ernest J. Gaines.  (Applause.)  For his contributions as an author and teacher.  Drawing deeply from his childhood in the rural South, his works have shed new light on the African American experience and given voice to those who have endured injustice.  (Applause.)
 
Ellsworth Kelly.  (Applause.)  For his contributions as a painter, sculptor and printmaker.  A careful observer of form, color and the natural world, Mr. Kelly has shaped more than half a century of abstraction and remains a vital influence in American art.  (Applause.)
 
Tony Kushner.  (Applause.)  For his contributions to American theater and film.  Whether for the stage or the silver screen, his scripts have moved audiences worldwide, marrying humor to fury, history to fantasy, and the philosophical to the personal.  (Applause.)
 
George Lucas.  (Applause.)  For his contributions to American cinema.  By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination and cutting-edge techniques, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved and iconic films of all time.  (Applause.)
 
Elaine May.  (Applause.)  For her contributions to American comedy.  With groundbreaking wit and a keen understanding of how humor can illuminate our lives, Ms. May has evoked untold joy, challenged expectations, and elevated spirits across our nation. (Applause.)
 
Laurie Olin.  (Applause.)  For his contributions as a preeminent landscape architect.  Renowned for his acute sense of harmony and balance between nature and design, Mr. Olin has dedicated his energy to shaping many iconic spaces around the world and to educating new leaders in his art.  (Applause.)
 
Allen Toussaint.  (Applause.)  For his contributions as a composer, producer and performer.  Born and raised in New Orleans, Mr. Toussaint has built a legendary career alongside America’s finest musicians, sustaining his city’s rich tradition of rhythm and blues, and lifting it to the national stage.  (Applause.)
 
Accepting on behalf of Washington Performing Arts Society, Jenny Bellfield.  (Applause.)  For bringing world-class performances to our Nation’s Capital.  From concert hall premieres to in-school workshops, Washington Performing Arts Society has drawn renowned artists to the Washington community and inspired generations of young performers to follow their passions.  (Applause.)
 
National Humanities Medal recipients:
 
Edward L. Ayers.  (Applause.)  For his commitment to making our history as widely available and accessible as possible.  Dr. Ayers’s innovations in digital humanities extend higher learning beyond campus boundaries and allow broad audiences to discover the past in new ways.  (Applause.)
 
Accepting on behalf of William G. Bowen, David Bowen.  (Applause.)  For his contributions to the study of economics and his probing research on higher education in America.  While his widely discussed publications have scrutinized the effects of policy, Dr. Bowen has used his leadership to put theories into practice and strive for new heights of academic excellence.
 
Jill Ker Conway.  (Applause.)  For her contributions as a historian and trailblazing academic leader.  Dr. Conway has inspired generations of scholars, and her studies of exceptional and empowered women have revealed a common drive that unites women across the globe to create, to lead, and to excel.  (Applause.)
 
Natalie Zemon Davis.  (Applause.)  For her insights into the study of history and her exacting eloquence in bringing the past into focus.  With vivid description and exhaustive research, her works allow us to experience life through our ancestors’ eyes and to engage truly with our history.  (Applause.)
 
Frank Deford.  (Applause.)  For transforming how we think about sports.  A dedicated writer and storyteller, Mr. Deford has offered a consistent, compelling voice in print and on radio, reaching beyond scores and statistics to reveal the humanity woven into the games we love.  (Applause.) 
 
Joan Didion.  (Applause.)  For her mastery of style in writing.  Exploring the culture around us and exposing the depths of sorrow, Ms. Didion has produced works of startling honesty and fierce intellect, rendered personal stories universal, and illuminated the seemingly peripheral details that are central to our lives.  (Applause.) 
 
Robert D. Putnam.  (Applause.)  For deepening our understanding of community in America.  Examining how patterns of engagement divide and unite, Dr. Putnam’s writing and research inspire us to improve institutions that make society worth living in, and his insights challenge us to be better citizens.  (Applause.) 
 
Marilynne Robinson.  (Applause.)  For her grace and intelligence in writing.  With moral strength and lyrical clarity, Dr. Robinson’s novels and nonfiction have traced our ethical connections to people in our lives, explored the world we inhabit, and defined universal truths about what it means to be human.  (Applause.) 
 
Kay Ryan.  (Applause.)  For her contributions as a poet and educator.  A former Poet Laureate of the United States, her witty and compact verse infused with subtle wordplay, reminds us of the power of language to evoke wisdom from the ordinary.  (Applause.)
 
Robert B. Silvers.  (Applause.)  For offering critical perspectives on writing.  As the editor and co-founder of The New York Review of Books, he has invigorated our literature with cultural and political commentary, and elevated the book review to a literary art form.  (Applause.)
 
Anna Deavere Smith.  (Applause.)  For her portrayal of authentic American voices.  Through profound performances and plays that blend theater and journalism, she has informed our understanding of social issues and conveyed a range of disparate characters.  (Applause.)
 
Camilo José Vergara.  (Applause.)  For his stark visual representation of American cities.  By capturing images of urban settings over time, his sequences reflect the vibrant culture of our changing communities and document the enduring spirit that shines through decay.  (Applause.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Let’s give our honorees one more big round of applause.  (Applause.) 
 
Well, I could not imagine a more deserving group of honorees.  We are thrilled to have them here. 
 
Fear not, the party is not over.  (Laughter.)  My understanding is the food here at the White House is not bad.  (Laughter.)  And we may get some nice tunes from our Marine Band -- they can play anything, so feel free to make requests.  (Laughter.) 
 
But to all the honorees, thank you, again, for enriching our lives in so many different ways.  We’re going to have an opportunity to see you and your families, and take some pictures with the honorees.  In the meantime, enjoy the reception.  And thank you all.  I hope you’ve enjoyed it.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END
2:47 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
July 10, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady to Mayors and Other Local Officials Engaged in Let's Move! Towns, Cities, and Counties

South Court Auditorium

1:41 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thanks so much, everyone.  Good afternoon.  Please, rest.  I know they've got you working hard, which is good.  I like that. 

Well, welcome.  I want to start by thanking a few of the staff folks here who have been working so hard -- Sam, David, Dr. Koh, for all of their work to help make Let’s Move Cities, Towns and Counties such a tremendous success. 

I also want to thank everyone here today from the National League of Cities for all of their leadership on this effort.  We could not have done it without this organization's leadership and steadfast support.

I also want to thank our friends from Kaboom.  I've done a lot of Kaboom-building in my many years of living, and I can say that every experience is meaningful and impactful.  So I want to thank you all for the work that you do, as well as The National Association of Counties, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

And of course, I want to thank Nancy for that very kind introduction and for everything she’s doing to help young people in Moscow, Idaho, lead healthy, active lives.  We are just so proud of everything that you're doing.  It's truly amazing.  And there are so many community leaders just like Nancy who are here today, and we appreciate you taking the time and making this a priority -- leaders who have stepped up on behalf of the health and well-being of our next generation.  The most important part of our lives in this society is our children, and you all have demonstrated that by putting them top on your list.

So my first job here today is just to say thank you, really.  It's as simple as that.  Thank you.  You do not have to do what you're doing.  So it means a great deal, not just to me personally as the First Lady, but to all those kids that are living in your communities who are counting on all of us to get this right.  Thank you.  Thank you for everything you’re doing for our young people.  Thank you for all the work that you do day in and day out to make your communities stronger and healthier. 

And let me tell you, I know that it is not easy to be you, to do what you do.  You all are pulled in so many directions.  You’re dealing with tighter and tighter budgets.  You’re working to keep your local economies humming and your neighborhoods thriving.  And of course, you're trying to keep everyone safe. 

Yet even with all of that on your plate, you all have still made the health of our young people a priority.  And you’re doing it in new and innovative ways that touch so many parts of your communities.

For instance, last year in Missoula, Montana, they created Let’s Move Missoula – a coalition of city and county agencies, hospitals and nonprofits, and the Chamber of Commerce.  And so far, they’ve set healthier standards for all the vending and concessions in public space throughout the community.  They’ve given all their fourth and fifth graders access to free open gyms with programming from the parks department.  Sixth graders in that community get a free yearlong membership to the YMCA.  And this summer, they’re promoting an Unplug and Play Outside campaign to do one of my favorite things -- not popular in my household -- but reduce screen time and increase physical activity. 

And in Knox County, Tennessee, they’ve worked with the city of Knoxville to create a bike and share program for the kids in that community.  They’ve printed new maps that promote dozens of miles of wonderful bike trails and routes, and they’ve created a walking school bus -- and I've heard more and more of this kind of walking school bus happening all over the country -- so that kids can get exercise on the way to school, kind of like we did when we were growing up.  You remember the miles of walking you did with a sweet potato in your pocket?  (Laughter.)  We all heard that story.  My mother repeated it just yesterday.  (Laughter.)   

And that’s what Let’s Move is all about.  That’s what we're really trying to do here.  It’s about people all across this country coming together to take action to support the health of our kids.  We’ve seen it happen in cities, towns and rural areas across the United States. 

And we’re proud to announce that in just the past year, more than 330 elected officials have committed to making their city or town a Let’s Move community, and fulfilling the five community-wide goals that Dr. Koh outlined earlier.  That means that more than 56 million Americans are now living in a community dedicated to improving nutrition and physical activity for our young people.  And that’s a good thing.  (Applause.)  Yes, absolutely.  That is a very good thing. 

So, like we have to do everything, together, we are making real progress on this issue.  And not many people would have guessed that we'd be this far when we launched this initiative several years ago, but the fact is, though, that we still have a long way to go.  We still have work to do. 

And that brings me to my second job here today, and that is to ask you to keep doing what you're doing.  It's as simple as that.  You all are at the forefront of this work, and we need you to continue to lead the way as we work to end our country’s epidemic of childhood obesity.  We are in the right direction, but we need more activity.  We need more leadership. 

We’re certainly encouraged that obesity rates are starting to decline in places like New York and in Mississippi.  I was proud to visit some of the schools there who have made tremendous progress in the -- throughout the state of Mississippi because of this kind of leadership.   

But we also know that that this is a challenge that simply can’t be fixed in a year or two, or even 10.  And I get this question all the time -- what's the cutoff when you think this will be over?  And this is -- it took us a lifetime, generations to get here, and it's going to take us just as much time to turn this around. 

So I want to ask you all to double down on this initiative, just to push a little bit harder on what you're doing.  We need you to take the ideas and programs that you learn about here today and think about ways to adapt them for your own community if you're not already doing it. 

We need you to bring more people to the table on this issue –- more faith leaders, more doctors and business owners, more principals and teachers -- and, of course, more and more parents.  Because at the end of the day, the parents are the ones who make the decisions about how to guide their nutrition and physical activity of their kids in the home.

And we need you to reach out to leaders in neighboring communities.  You all are here today because you are leaders.  You're setting the bar very high, and we are counting on you to be that model for others, for other communities trying to figure this out.  So partner with some of your colleagues on new programs whenever it seems like it's going to work.  Ask them to join you and become a Let’s Move community.

And as you’re doing all this, trying to save your cities and balance budgets and take care of your own selves at the same time -- because you all are leaders in your own right.  I’m always impressed when I see a community leader who has made some significant steps in their own personal lives and have become that role model in their cities. 

But as you’re doing all that, it’s important for you to know that all of us here at the White House on my team, me personally, obviously, we are supporting you every step of the way.  Change can be hard, and you guys are bearing the brunt of the changes that you’re trying to make.  And sometimes it’s helpful to know that you’re not alone in this.

We will be working continuously to make your jobs a little bit easier.  We’re going to be working with food companies and restaurants who are offering more healthy options to families so that when they go into a restaurant they have some decent choices.  We’ve got ready-made programs and frameworks that you can apply in your communities -- new programs like Let’s Move Active Schools that I’m sure you’ve heard about, and Let’s Move Active Schools provides training and technical assistance to help incorporate physical activity into students’ daily routines.

And we’re also proud to announce today that after you leave, we’re going to give you access to the wealth of local data from a new report just released by Dr. Chris Murray from the University of Washington and Dr. Harvey Fineberg from the Institute of Medicine.  I want to thank both of them for all of their hard work on this landmark research, which you’ll hear more about -- research that makes clear that poor nutrition is the single-greatest cause of preventable diseases and ailments in this country -- the single-greatest cause.  Simply what we put into our bodies -- seems obvious, but we still resist that truth.  Bigger even than smoking or high blood pressure is what this data will show. 

Dr. Murray and Dr. Fineberg are going to talk about all of this in more detail later this afternoon so you can get a better idea of what this data presents for you.  But the key here is that the data from this report goes all the way down to the county level, which means that you’ll be able to see which issues are affecting your communities the most.  And that means that you’ll be able to connect the dots a little bit better, more efficiently, between your community’s nutrition and its rates of diabetes or heart disease.  You’ll be able to see how much physical activity the people in your communities are reporting.  And once you have all this information, you’ll be able to make more effective decisions to really focus your resources and programming to find solutions that fit the needs of your community.

So we’re going to do everything that we can to give you as much information and support as you need to make this work a little more easy for you, because in the end we know that you all are the ones who can make the biggest difference on this issue.  There is a reason why we focused on you all -- you guys are on the ground here.  You guys are the people who are touching people’s lives every day.  You have the power and the platform to bring leaders from across your communities together around this very issue.

And we’ve seen the kinds of results that you can get when you do what you do best.  We have seen families empowered with better choices.  We have seen kids across this country growing up healthier.  We’ve seen entire communities coming together to take control of their children’s health.  We’ve seen it.  I’ve traveled the country -- it is the best and most fulfilling thing that I could be doing as First Lady. 

But you all are the reason why I am more confident than ever before that if we continue to make progress on this issue and we keep working together, I know that we will be able to give our kids the bright and healthy futures that they deserve.  So we want you as empowered as you can be, and hopefully the rest of this afternoon will bring you more resources and support. 

So roll up your sleeves, folks.  We’re just beginning this journey.  And I am confident that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we are going to end this epidemic, and we’re not only going to make our kids healthier, but, as we see with the data, our communities are going to be stronger.  Our costs are going to go down.  It’s going to make a vast improvement in this country, and hopefully we can be a model for the rest of the world.

So high hopes, high bar, but you all have just been phenomenal and I know you can do it.  So good luck this afternoon.  I’m going to go hang out with the President and give out some awards.  (Laughter.)  But I expect you to work hard and ask lots of questions, and share with one another, and we’re going to keep bringing you back together to find ways that we can continue to help you.

So congratulations and keep up the great work.  Thanks so much.  (Applause.)

END
1:56 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
July 09, 2013

Remarks by the First Lady and the President at Kids' State Dinner

East Room

12:22 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  You all, rest yourselves.  I know you've been waiting patiently.  Coming to the White House, it's a big hassle, isn't it?  (Laughter.) 

You guys should really know that this is what it's like to be a part of an official state dinner.  We set this event up and we mirrored it exactly to what people experience when we host world leaders.  We were in this very room -- that receiving line you had to sit through -- stand through, we do that.  So it takes a little patience being at the White House.  But you guys are phenomenal.  We are so proud of you all.

I want to start by thanking Haile.  Gosh, girl, I mean, you're -- I have had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with this young lady, and every time I am with her, she is that poised, that gracious, that bright, that inspiring.  And you did it again.  (Laughter.)  You did it -- I am so proud of you for setting an example. 

And I know you couldn’t do it without -- I know you want -- go ahead and cry -- (laughter) -- because I would be crying right now.  We're very proud of you.  And Haile is an example for all of you, what your little, powerful voices can do to change the world.  So we are very proud of you, babe.  Thanks for being here.

I also want to thank Tanya, as well, and everyone from Epicurious for supporting this event and inspiring thousands of children to get creative and get cooking with their parents.  We couldn’t have done this event without you all.  You all have been amazing partners.  To me, this is an annual event so I hope you get your work shoes on and we're going to get started for next year.

I also have to thank one of my dear friends and essential partners in this effort to get our kids healthy and active -- Secretary Tom Vilsack, from the Department of Agriculture.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  You've been an awesome partner.  None of the changes that have been made could have been done without your leadership.  And it is something that I know you've been focused on your entire life and I'm just grateful for the support and leadership that you've shown.

I also want to thank all of the staff members from both the Departments of Agriculture and Education for all the work that you all do.  And we've got many representatives here.  Can you guys stand so that the kids at your tables know who you are? These men and women in suits and ties and jackets and stuff -- they do the hard work every day.  (Applause.)  

And a little later on, we're going to have a special guest  -- a wonderful young woman by the name of Rachel Crow, who's going to be performing here today.  She's got an awesome voice.  She was involved in the X-Factor.  She's very cool.  She's going to be here to entertain. 

But I also want to join in thanking all the parents who are here with us today -- the parents, the grandparents.  And I know out there somewhere are teachers and educators who are also inspiring these young people.  Thank you for bringing your kids here today.  Thank you for loving them, for supporting them, for encouraging them.  I know we've got one grandma in the room -- yay to the grandmas in the room.  We love the grandmas.  You guys are amazing.  Kids, let's give your family members a round of applause.  (Applause.) 

And most of all, I want to thank and recognize the stars of today's show -- the 54 winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge!  Our stars.  (Applause.)  Yes!  Just take a look around -- especially over in that corner over there.  (Laughter.) That is what we call the press.  (Laughter.)  They're here for you, and there are a lot of you all here today.  They don’t show up like this for just anybody.  I mean, I tell you, sometimes there are just a few of them over in a little corner -- (laughter) -- but today, they're all out in full force because of you.

You all, you come from every corner of our country.  Every state is represented here today -- go, every state!  You all have created nutritious, delicious dishes inspired by the MyPlate nutritional guidelines for healthy meals.  And you all stood out among a pool of more than 1,300 submissions for this contest. 

So this was no easy task.  If you deal in statistics and odds, the odds were pretty tough getting one of these seats at this table.  So you should be very proud of yourselves. 

And that’s why this is truly one of my favorite events that we have here in the White House.  I mean, we do a lot of cool stuff here.  We’ve got singers and stars and world leaders, but this, probably throughout the entire White House, is one of our favorite events because we get to see how talented and creative and brilliant all of you young people can be.  And then we get to show the world. 

And we don’t just get to see it, we get to taste it.  (Laughter.)  Just listen to some of the delicious, nutritious dishes that these kids dreamed up:  “Banana’s Black Bean Burritos” -- (applause.)  Yes, let’s hear it.  (Laughter.)  Okay, moms, you guys are going to have to cheer it up for your kids because they’re so nervous.  I know you’re thinking to yourselves, my kids talk so much, but then they came here to the First Lady and they didn’t say a word.  (Laughter.) 

“Confetti Peanut Ginger Party Pasta.”  (Applause.)  “Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River Rice.”  (Applause.) That’s my guy -- catfish loving.  “Bring It On Brussels Sprout Wrap.”  (Applause.)  Bring it on!  “Slam-Dunk Veggie Burger.”  (Applause.) 

And then there are the “Fun Mini-Pizzas with Veggies and Cauliflower Crust.”  (Applause.)  Listen to this, all of you -- we’re going to be eating that here because all the dishes here are among those that were submitted.  But this recipe was submitted by Olivia Neely from Kansas.   And let me just tell you something, Olivia’s crust is gluten-free and it is made of cauliflower, egg, low-fat cheese and spices. 

And when Sam Kass -- who is the Let’s Move Executive Director and Assistant White House Chef -- tasted it -- is Sam here?  There’s Sam Kass.  Sam didn’t -- he didn’t believe that there wasn’t any wheat in it.   He was skeptical.  (Laughter.)  The health guy was skeptical.  (Laughter.)  So skeptical that he walked down to the kitchen and asked the chef whether they’d slipped in some wheat to make sure that the crust tasted right.  But they told him, nope, no wheat; just the ingredients Olivia put in the recipe.

So we have seen that when kids like all of you get involved in creating your own healthy meals, the results can really be amazing and delicious and fun.  You’ll come up with ideas that none of us grownups ever thought of.  You’ll find new ways to get your families and friends to eat healthy and try new foods. 

I know that all of you have been motivated by different events in your life, different people in your life, even, to cook healthy and to make changes.  And some of you might even start your own online cooking show maybe.  Maybe you’ll start making appearances on local TV newscasts.  I know some of you have already started doing that -- like Amber Kelley, our winner from Washington State.  Amber, where are you?  (Laughter.)  You slipped right under my nose.  You’ve been making the TV rounds?  Pretty spectacular.

But that’s really what drives Let’s Move -- the energy and imagination that’s inside each and every one of you in this room. We know that if you’re able to eat healthy foods, if you have more opportunities to get up and active -- because that’s all part of it, we all know that, got to get up and move -- and if you’re surrounded by parents and teachers and community leaders who encourage you to live healthier lives, then there’s no telling what you’ll achieve.  There’s no telling.

That’s why we’re working with businesses across the country, like Epicurious, to find new ways to promote healthy eating.  It’s why we’re working with schools and health professionals to teach you about making good choices not just at home, but in school as well.  Because we know sometimes you get to school, you lose your mind, right?  (Laughter.)  We're working on that.  It’s why we’re working with restaurants and food companies and grocery stores, so that you have healthy options that give you the energy that you need to succeed in school and in life. 

Because in the end, Let’s Move isn’t just about what happens in the kitchen or at the dinner table.  It’s also about what happens after you fuel up with those right foods.  It’s about making sure that your body can be strong and healthy, and your mind can be ready to learn and explore and dream, today and for years to come.  That's really what this is all about.  This is about giving you the foundation to fly high and dream big.   

Right here in this room, we’re already seeing what can happen if you’re making healthy choices, because as Tanya mentioned, this group is full of student leaders, not just student chefs.  You guys are members of your student council.  We have some Odyssey of the Mind finalists in this room.  We've got Spelling Bee champions in this room.  We have volunteers who serve throughout their communities. 

Lydia Finkbeiner from Indiana donated half the proceeds from her lemonade stand to a children’s hospital.  And Liam from Wisconsin -- where's my guy, Liam?  Where are you?  There's Liam with his bowtie -- started an organization called Harvest Ninjas to raise awareness about childhood hunger.  And I know that there are so many more examples like this -- I heard a few of them during the receiving line -- of all the wonderful things that you guys are doing in your lives. 

So the point is that none of us knows what’s next for all of you; none of us knows how far you can go.  All of that is really up to you.  And it's about eating healthy, but it's also working hard in school.  Because my second question is, how are your grades?  Are you working hard?

But we do know that if you keep dreaming up new ideas, if you keep eating healthy and getting active, then you’re going to make your communities and your country stronger than ever before. You really are.  You all are the future.  Each of you has so much promise and so much potential.  As 8-year-old Nicholas Hornbostel from Colorado said, “I really want to be a cook and an engineer and be president, too.”  (Laughter.)  That's an outstanding list. (Laughter.)  That’s what this state dinner is really about.  We really want you guys to realize your dreams. 

And as I always say when I have kids here, I want you to think, if you can walk in this room and sit at these chairs, and be in front of these cameras, and meet the First Lady of the United States, then you can do anything in the world.  You really can.  You can do anything you want in the world. 

So your next task is to pass it on.  You've got to keep passing it on.  There are a lot of other little kids who would love to be in this room and they can't, but you can bring them here.  You can share your thoughts and ideas.  You can do as Haile has done -- become a leader.  You guys are more than equipped to do it.  You guys are already doing it.

So keep working hard, all right?  You guys promise me that? Do I hear some promises going on here?  You guys are hungry, aren't you?  (Laughter.)  All right, I know when we have hungry children in the room.  Well, you guys have a great time.  Eat well.  And I can't wait to see what you're going to do with your lives in the years to come. 

I love you all.  Thanks for coming.  (Applause.)

    * * * * 

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s okay to eat with your fingers.  (Laughter.)  The First Lady has said that it is okay.  Parents, okay?  (Laughter.)  Don't make them eat with a fork and knife.  Just pick it up.  (Laughter.)

Now, the second surprise is that there is someone else here who wanted to say hello -- a dear, dear man in my life, someone who I love deeply, who is the wind beneath my wings -- (laughter) -- who is just a very awesome world leader -- the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Everybody, have a seat, have a seat. 

Now, first of all, usually at a state dinner, I get invited. (Laughter.)  So I don't know what happened on this one -- somehow the invitation slipped through somewhere.  But it looks like you guys are having fun. 

I wanted to come by, first of all, because everybody looks very nice -- you guys all got dressed up.  Second of all, I hear the food is pretty good.  (Laughter.)  And I want to say I could not be prouder of the work that Michelle has done, her team -- Sam Kass and all of you have, I really think, lifted up the whole fact that food can be fun, it can be healthy, and that when you combine it with the work that Michelle has been doing and I know all of you are involved with, with Let's Move, eating healthy, living healthy -- you are setting up habits that are going to be great for your entire life. 

And you're setting a great example for your classmates, and I suspect you’re setting a good example for your parents, who sometimes may not always be eating as healthy as they’re supposed to.  So you're really making a difference in all the communities and all the states all across the country.  We could not be prouder of you. 

And we're really proud of you winning this challenge -- because, frankly, I'm not a great cook and -- I'm not bad, but I don't do it that much.  It’s hard to find the time.  But when I do cook, I'm following a recipe.  And to think that all of you have invented all this fabulous food just shows how creative you are and it shows that food that tastes good can be healthy, too. Because I think sometimes we get thinking that if it’s good for you then it must be nasty.  (Laughter.)  Now, I'll admit that there’s some things that are good for you that don't taste very good.  (Laughter.)  But it’s usually because -- no, it’s usually because they’re not prepared right. 

So I will just tell you a story.  When I was a kid -- I'm now older than most of your parents, which is kind of depressing -- but my family, when they cooked vegetables they would just boil them.  Remember that?  And they’d get all soft and mushy, and nobody wanted to eat a pea or a Brussels sprout because they tasted horrible because they were all mush.  And broccoli, it would be all mushy.  And now I actually like vegetables because they’re prepared right.  And so you guys are getting a jump on things because you're figuring that out earlier.

So I just want to say to all of the young people here, keep it up.  You guys are going to set a good example for everybody all across the country.  Because you’re eating healthy, and you're out there active and you’re playing sports, and you’re out on the playground and doing all those things, not only are you going to have a better life, but you're also helping to create a stronger, healthier America.  And that saves us money.  It means people are not sick as much.  It means that our health care costs go down.  So everything that you’re doing really is having an impact beyond just fixing a good meal.

And for parents, I want you guys to learn from the example of your children and keep working on these good recipes. 

So I hope everybody has fun.  Again, I couldn’t be prouder of my wife for this whole initiative, but I’m also thankful to all of you.  And I will come around to the tables just to say hi to everybody.  But I don't want to be too disruptive, so everybody kind of stay in their seats.  I will come to you.  (Laughter.)  And I won’t be able to take individual pictures with everybody because I’ve got a few other things going on right now -- (laughter) -- but my White House photographer is going to be following us around, so he’ll be taking pictures while I’m shaking hands with everybody, and everybody will be able to get copies.  All right?

Now, one last thing I’ll say -- Michelle never said to me I can just pick up something with my fingers at a state dinner.  (Laughter.)  So --

MRS. OBAMA:  And you can't.  That's not -- we’re not doing that.

THE PRESIDENT:  So that's not fair.  (Laughter.) 

All right, thanks, guys.  (Applause.)

END
12:50 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 08, 2013

Remarks by the President Presenting New Management Agenda

State Dining Room

11:52 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Well, thank you so much.

Back in 2007, when I was first running for this office, I had the opportunity to visit Google headquarters in Mountain View, in Silicon Valley, to discuss ways we could use technology to allow more citizens to participate in their democracy, and bring a government built largely in the 20th century into the 21st century.

After all, we had already set out to build a new type of campaign -- one that used technology to bring people together, and then trusted them with that technology to organize on their own.  And the idea was simple:  Instead of bringing more people to the campaign, we wanted to bring the campaign to more people, and let them determine its course and its nature.  If you wanted to make phone calls or knock on doors, you didn’t have to come into a field office first, you could just get the information you needed right on your phone and go out there and do it.  If you wanted to get your friends involved, then we had the tools to help you connect. 

And I very much felt that some of the things that we were doing to help us get elected could also be used once we were elected.  If you wanted to share your story, we could help you get your story out.  And throughout this process, we created one of the most inclusive and one of the most successful campaigns in American history.

Now, once we got to Washington, instead of an operation humming with the latest technology, I had to fight really hard just to keep my BlackBerry.  (Laughter.)  And as anyone knows, dealing with the federal government is not always high-technology and it’s not always user-friendly.

So over the past four and a half years, we’ve worked diligently to change that.  Just like we did on that campaign, we started by recruiting some of the smartest people from the private sector to work side-by-side with some of the smartest people in the public sector to help get it done.  So that day that I visited Google, I promised to appoint the nation’s first CTO -- Chief Technology Officer.  And soon after I took office, I did.  Today, our Chief Technology Officer, Todd Park, and our Chief Information Officer, Steve VanRoekel, are working with their teams to innovate and apply the best technology to help solve some of our biggest challenges -- from creating jobs to reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure. 

We are the first to confess that progress has not always come quick, and major challenges still remain.  But we’ve made huge swaths of your government more efficient and more transparent, and more accountable than ever before.  And we’ve done it by focusing on three areas.

First, we found ways to deliver the services that citizens expect in smarter, faster, and better ways.  So, for example, until recently, when a natural disaster struck, teams from FEMA had to rely exclusively on in-person inspections to figure out which families needed help.  Now they analyze satellite and aerial imagery and get housing assistance to areas that need it most, more quickly.  After Hurricane Sandy, most folks were able to sign up for assistance using FEMA’s mobile and web apps -- updating and checking the status of their applications.  And FEMA agents went door-to-door in some areas with iPads, helping residents who had lost power and Internet access sign up for disaster relief without leaving their homes.  So making sure that we’re delivering services better, faster, more efficiently. 

Second, we’ve identified new ways to reduce waste and save taxpayers money.  So, for example, just by working to get rid of overlapping IT systems, we’ve identified more than $2.5 billion in savings across the federal government -- and that’s just the beginning.  I’ve proposed and signed into law the elimination of dozens of federal programs and cut even more that were either duplicative, not working, or no longer needed, saving billions of dollars a year.  And the basic principle is simple:  Taxpayers deserve the biggest bang for their buck, especially at a time when budgets are tight and we’ve got to do a lot more with less.  And now anyone can visit WhiteHouse.gov to see your “Taxpayer Receipt.”  It’s a literal receipt that tells you just how and where your tax dollars are being spent.

Finally, for the first time in history, we’ve opened up huge amounts of government data to the American people, and put it on the Internet for free.  At Data.gov, you can search through and download more than 75,000 data sets -- data on everything from what different hospitals charge for different procedures, to credit card complaints, to weather and climate measurements.  And what’s happening is entrepreneurs and business owners are now using that data -- the people’s data --to create jobs and solve problems that government can’t solve by itself or can’t do as efficiently.

So there’s a company called Opower, for example, that’s used open government data on general energy trends and weather to help families save more than $300 million on their energy bills.  There’s another company called iTriage -- founded by two emergency room doctors -- that is using freely downloadable data about health care providers from the Department of Health and Human Services to help more than 9 million people find the closest doctors and hospitals that meet their needs.  And the list goes on.  And these companies have now hired hundreds of people and they’re still hiring.  And millions of people have already used these applications that were created as a consequence of releasing this data.

So we’ve made some good progress on all fronts, but now we need to do more.  So today, I met with all my Cabinet, including a number of new Cabinet members, some of whom have extraordinary private sector experience, and I directed the Cabinet to develop an aggressive management agenda for my second term that delivers a smarter, more innovative, and more accountable government for its citizens.  And we’re going to continue to adopt good ideas from the private sector. 

I’ve asked Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to lead this effort.  And Sylvia was part of a team at OMB that presided over three years of budget surpluses in the 1990s.  After philanthropic work at the Gates Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation, she’s come back to help us move this effort forward.

She’s not the only one.  We’ve also welcomed a new class of Presidential Innovation Fellows -- and I’d love for the press to meet some of these folks, because they’re extraordinary.  These are Americans with vast private sector technology expertise who have volunteered to come serve their country in the private [public] sector.  So, for example, Scott Wu helped found a company that helps recent graduates turn their good ideas into good businesses.  And Claire Holroyd used to manage product design for everything from mobile phones to video games.  Garren Givens founded an innovative shopping site that adapts to your tastes as you browse.  And so they and 40 other Fellows are taking this private sector expertise and bringing it into the government -- making it smarter, making it more user-friendly.

Today, for example, many online shopping websites help fill in some of your information so you don’t have to enter it every time you log in.  As a consequence, we’re working on a project called MyUSA that will save you time by doing the same thing with government forms.  And if you’re applying for federal benefits, we think you should be able to track the status of your application in real time, just like you can follow location of a package all the way to your doorstep.  These are things that are in the pipeline right now.

Currently, when our government asks for bids on a project, it’s usually written in complicated language with complicated requirements that most people don’t understand.  We’re working to make things simpler so it’s easier for more small businesses across the country to bid on projects.  And we’ll help businesses create more jobs doing work that needs to be done -- and by opening up more competition to government contracts, we’ll save taxpayers money in the process.

We recently re-launched an upgraded, easier HealthCare.gov.  Beginning October 1st, Americans will be able to log on and comparison shop an array of private health insurance plans, side-by-side -- just like you go online and compare the best deal on cars or the best deal on computers.  Because you’ll finally be part of a new pool with millions of other Americans, insurers will actually want to compete for your business.  And we’ve worked really hard to make these marketplaces user-friendly.  So, for example, when the prototype of an application to join the marketplace came in at 21 pages, we rejected it.  We said let’s do better.  It’s now three pages long.  And, by the way, that’s a lot shorter than the application you have to fill out for private insurance currently.

Last year, I also asked Congress for the authority to reorganize and consolidate the federal bureaucracy.  We’re doing a lot of this work administratively, but unfortunately there are still a bunch of rules, a lot of legislation that has poorly designed some of our agencies and forces folks to engage in bureaucratic jump-hoop -- hoop jumping instead of just going ahead and focusing on mission and delivering good service to our citizens.  So what we’ve asked is let’s clean this up.  Let’s consolidate it.

Almost every President from Herbert Hoover to Ronald Reagan had this authority to redesign the federal government, the executive branch, to deliver services better -- just like every business owner seeking to make sure that his or her company keep pace with the times.  Currently, we do not have that capacity.  And so I’m going to keep on doing what we can administratively, but we sure could use Congress’s help, particularly at a time when Congress is saying they want more efficient government -- they give a lot of lip service to it -- and we’re operating under severe fiscal constraints.

It makes sense for us to be able to redesign government so that it can deliver on the functions that the American people are looking for.  We should all want a government that’s smarter, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.

Now, the good news is America is full of talented, dedicated public servants who are working really hard every day to uphold the public trust.  And those of us who believe that government has a responsibility to guarantee some level of basic security, and to make sure everybody gets a fair shot at success -- from the entrepreneur who wants to start a business, to the workers who will work in that business -- we also have a responsibility to make sure that government works.  And that’s why I’m glad that we’ve got people like Scott and Claire and Garren and so many other talented, idealistic men and women who have signed up to help us tackle these challenges.  That's why we’re so proud that Sylvia is going to be heading this up.

And I’m going to be asking more people around the country -- more inventors and entrepreneurs and visionaries -- to sign up to serve.  We’ve got to have the brightest minds to help solve our biggest challenges.  And it’s a reminder that in this democracy, we the people recognize that this government belongs to us, and it’s up to each of us and every one of us to make it work better.  We can’t just stand on the sidelines.  We can’t take comfort in just being cynical.  We all have a stake in government success -- because the government is us. 

And we’re doing things right when we’re tracking weather more effectively -- that saves lives for folks who are in the path of a tornado.  When we’re delivering effectively data on improved health care choices, that’s going to save lives and reduce costs.  And we've got the potential to do so much better than we're doing right now, but we're going to need the help of the private sector, the non-for-profits.  Most of all, we want to make sure that we're empowering some of the folks who are sitting here today to make sure that they can deliver on the kind of 21st century government the American people want.

So thank you very much, everybody.  Keep up the good work.  (Applause.)

END  
12:07 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 04, 2013

Remarks by the President at Fourth of July Celebration

South Lawn

5:58 P.M. EDT 

THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House.  (Applause.)  And Happy Fourth of July!  (Applause.) 

So we've tried to plan a proper Fourth of July celebration. We're grilling some food.  We've got the fireworks coming.  We've got lots of music.  The band fun. is here with us today.  (Applause.)  And we've got multiple groups from our Marine Band
-- we've got the Marine Concert Band.  We've got the Dixieland Band.  We've got the Marching Band.  And we've got Free Country, the country band.  (Applause.)

So we hope everybody has a great time.  We are incredibly grateful for your service, and we're thankful that you get a chance to spend the Fourth here with us.  And by the way, it's Malia's birthday, so she is appreciative that you're all going to be wishing her happy birthday as well.  (Applause.)

So I don't want to keep you from the food, but let me just say this.  There are children all over the world right now asking their parents what's so special about today.  And maybe some of those little ones are running around even here on the South Lawn, thinking, well, this is just an excuse for some hotdogs.  (Laughter.)  But it's worth remembering what happened 237 years ago on this date and what it meant to the world.

On July 4, 1776, a small band of patriots declared that we were a people created equal, free to think and worship and live as we please; that our destiny would not be determined for us, it would be determined by us.  And it was bold and it was brave.  And it was unprecedented, it was unthinkable.  At that time in human history, it was kings and princes and emperors who made decisions. 

But those patriots knew there was a better way of doing things, that freedom was possible, and that to achieve their freedom they'd be willing to lay down their lives, their fortunes and their honor.  And so they fought a revolution.  And few would have bet on their side, but for the first time in many times to come, America proved the doubters wrong.

And now, 237 years later, this improbable experiment in democracy, the United States of America, stands as the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)  And what makes us great is not our size or our wealth, but our values and our ideals and the fact that we're willing to fight for them.  A land of liberty and opportunity; a global defender of peace and freedom; a beacon of hope for people everywhere who cherish those ideals.

And we have also earned it -- you have earned it -- because as part of a long line of folks who are willing to fight for those ideals, we've been able to not only preserve and make more perfect this union, but also try to spread that light elsewhere. You, the fighting men and women of the United States, and those who came before you, you've played a special role.  You defended our nation at home and abroad.  You fought for our nation's beliefs, to make the world a better and safer place.  People in scattered corners of the world live in peace today are free to write their own futures, because of you.

And we've got all of you here today.  We've got Army.  (Applause.)  We've got Navy.  (Applause.)  We've got Air Force.  (Applause.)  We've got Marines.  (Applause.)  We've got Coast Guard.  (Applause.)  And we've got National Guard.  (Applause.)  That's all right, National Guard, we love you, too.  (Applause.) 
And up here with me are incredibly capable and brave men and women from each service branch.  And we salute you, one and all. We salute our soldiers, like Specialist Heidi Olson, who, when she was wounded by an IED in Afghanistan, gave lifesaving treatment to another injured soldier, and then another.  She had to be ordered to stop and get treatment for herself when the MEDEVAC aircraft arrived.  And for her courage she was awarded a Bronze Star.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.) 

We salute our sailors, like Petty Officer Joe Marcinkowski, who serves wounded warriors at Walter Reed, coordinating their care and supporting their families throughout their recoveries.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Joe.

We salute our airmen, like Staff Sergeant Adam Ybarra, who helped save nine lives in 11 combat search and mission rescues in Afghanistan in 2012.  Give Adam a big round of applause.  (Applause.) 
We salute our Marines, like Corporal Amber Fifer, who was shot five times in an attack in Helmand Province, and has stayed on to serve as a Marine Corps drill instructor.  (Applause.) 

And we salute our Coasties, including Petty Officer Randy Haba, who was one of the first responders to rescue the crew of a ship off the coast of North Carolina when Hurricane Sandy struck and saved the lives of five mariners.  (Applause.)

So every day, men and women like them -- and like all of you -- are carrying forward the ideals that inspired that American Dream 237 years ago.  Defending our nation and our freedoms with strength and with sacrifice is your daily charge.  And it's the charge of all of us -- the charge of all who serve worldwide, including our troops that are still in harm's way, and their families back home.  They serve, too.  And so we think of them, we pray for them. 

And on behalf of all Americans, I want to say thank you and wish you all a very, very happy Fourth of July.  You've earned it.  So, God bless you.  God bless your families.  God bless the United States of America. 

And with that, let me turn it back over to the Marine Band.  (Applause.)

END   
6:05 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
July 02, 2013

Remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Laura Bush in a Conversation at the African First Ladies Summit

Serena Hotel
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

9:56 A.M. SAT
 
MS. ROBERTS:  What a great occasion, and what a tremendous honor for me to be here.  Thank you so very, very much for inviting me to come to Tanzania.  And thank you, Mrs. Kikwete, for hosting this.  This is very -- it's important to do.
 
President Obama said in South Africa on Sunday, quoting the best possible source -- his mother -- (laughter) -- he said that you can measure how well a country does by how it treats its women.  And, of course, President Obama's mother said that long before we had the data -- and we now have tons and tons of data to show that the single two biggest factors in development are the education of girls and the economic empowerment of women. 
 
And for all the reasons that you've just delineated, Mrs. Bush -- the importance of the education of girls and the empowerment of women.  So my hat's off to all of you, and especially the first ladies of Africa -- who are wearing wonderful hats, by the way -- because you work on these issues every day in your countries, pushing and prodding the powers that be -- and yes, your husbands -- to do the right things; to help your countries by helping the women and girls in your countries.  So congratulations to you.
 
And this is a session where we are going to have some congratulations and also some learning.  And in that spirit, I was going to start by saying, why can't the guys get together like this, but now they are getting together.  (Laughter.)  They're getting together this morning; I think they've probably taken their example from you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  They're learning from us as women.  (Laughter.) 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Exactly.  But you know, this question of "First Lady" has always been somewhat fraught.  You quoted Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Bush, but it really -- particularly, I know in the United States, Americans have always been a little bit wary about first ladies -- they're not elected, and they can't be fired -- (laughter) -- and they have a whole lot of power.  But it can also be a little confining, I think is a fair way to put it. 
 
Martha Washington, our first First Lady, wrote in the first year that she was First Lady, she wrote to her niece that she felt like a "Chief State Prisoner."  (Laughter.)  But she was able to do good -- she lobbied for all of those veterans that she had been to camp with through the Revolutionary War.  And people don’t realize that first ladies have been doing that kind of thing from Martha Washington --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And, Mrs. Obama, you talked about -- you've talked about, wherever you go, there's a light that shines, and that you're able to shine that light on something that needs attention that wouldn’t otherwise get it.  Talk about that a little bit. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s absolutely true. I always joke that we have probably the best jobs in the world because, unlike our husbands who have to react and respond to crisis on a minute-by-minute basis -- they come into office with a wonderful, profound agenda, and then they're faced with the reality.  (Laughter.) 
 
On the other hand, we get to work on what we're passionate about.  And I think that that’s something that I would encourage all first ladies to never lose sight of.  You have an opportunity to speak to your passions and to really design and be very strategic about the issues you care most about.  And I just found it just a very freeing and liberating opportunity.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  No state prisoner?  (Laughter.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, there are prison elements to it.  (Laughter.)  But it's a really nice prison, so --
 
MRS. BUSH:  But with a chef.  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You can't complain.  But there is definitely elements that are confining. 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And she said that before tweeting and cell phones. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s right, 24-hour media. 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And she could cover her hair with that cap.  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Right.  But being able to pursue our passions and do things that not only help our country and connect us with the rest of the world, it's a great privilege.  So while people are sort of sorting through our shoes and our hair -- (laughter) -- whether we cut it or not --
 
MRS. BUSH:  Whether we have bangs.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Whether we have bangs.  (Laughter.)  Who would have thought?  I didn’t call that one.  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. BUSH:  I said that just because our daughter, Barbara, cut bangs at the same time Michelle did.  They commiserated --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I was doing what Barbara was doing.  (Laughter.)  I was just following her lead.  But we take our bangs and we stand in front of important things that the world needs to see.  And eventually, people stop looking at the bangs and they start looking at what we're standing in front of.
 
MRS. BUSH:  We hope.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  They do, and that’s the power of our roles.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Mrs. Bush, you quoted, again, Lady Bird Johnson, talking about, I have a podium and I'm going to use it.  But it's a unique role, and there must be a learning curve.  And I remember as you were leaving the White House, you said that at first you were "dense" -- (laughter) -- about how hard it was; how the role is really not something that you understood the power of. 
 
MRS. BUSH:  Well, and I should have understood it, because I had a mother-in-law who was a First Lady.  I had watched her, of course, the whole time she served in public office with her husband, my father-in-law, President Bush.  And so, I really had an advantage that -- the only other First Lady that’s had this advantage was Louisa Adams, whose mother-in-law had been first lady as well.
 
So I really did come to the White House knowing a lot about the White House and knowing where things were, and we even knew the staff -- the butlers and the ushers -- because we had stayed there so often with President Bush and Barbara.  But what I didn’t really understand was how people would listen to the First Lady. 
 
And right after attacks of September 11th when -- I gave the presidential radio address to talk about women in Afghanistan.  And right after that, I was in a department store with my daughter, Jenna -- she was a freshman in college and I was in Austin seeing her -- and we want to a department store.  And the women who sold cosmetics at the department store said, thank you so much, Ms. Bush, thank you for speaking for the women in Afghanistan.  And that was the first time it really occurred to me that people really did hear me, and that I really did have that podium that Lady Bird Johnson knew about and had told us about. 
 
And so, I want to encourage every first lady to speak out and speak up and let people know, because people are watching and they are listening.  And you can be so constructive for your country if you speak up about issues that you think are important.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Did you have an experience like that?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely, but I just want to take a moment to commend Mrs. Bush, because she and her staff helped my team with that transition.  And that’s a powerful lesson for other leaders, is that there's a lot of give and take when you're campaigning, but when the dust settles, we are all in this together.  And Laura has been just so helpful.  Her Chief of Staff, Anita McBride, and many of the team members left notes for my staff.  My chief of staff calls Anita on a regular basis -- (laughter) -- I think it's daily or weekly or something like that.
 
But having your predecessors be people who are willing to extend themselves on behalf of the country, to help with that transition makes the world of difference.  But nothing prepares you.  (Laughter.)  Nothing prepares you for this role.  I mean, it is so startling that the transition of power in the United States happens so quickly that you don’t have access to the house until the President takes the oath of office.
 
So, literally --
 
MRS. BUSH:  During the inaugural parade -- one family moves out and the next family moves in.  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Literally.  And I remember walking into that house and I didn’t even know where the bathrooms were.  (Laughter.)  But I had to get ready for a ball.  (Laughter.)  It was like, and I've got to look nice?  It's like, what door is this, and you're opening up all these doors, and you can't find your toothpaste, you don’t know where your kids are.  (Laughter.)  So that’s day one. 
 
MRS. BUSH:  Exactly. 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  That’s a daunting experience.  One of the things -- we did ask the first ladies of Africa if they wanted to submit some questions, and one of the things that was true throughout the questions was the sense of continuity; that -- was there a way to keep your efforts going after the spotlight does go away.  Now, Mrs. Bush, is this one of your ways of doing that?
 
MRS. BUSH:  Yes, this is.  But for George and me, through the Bush Institute, we're able to focus on four areas that were so important to us when George was President. 
 
When you are President, every issue comes to the desk of the President of the United States.  First ladies have it a little bit easier because we can choose specific issues to focus on, but now that we're home, through the Bush Institute -- the policy institute that’s part of our Bush Presidential Center at SMU -- we are able to continue to work on issues that were important to us.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And you said, Mrs. Obama, that you want your issues to have a lasting effect, so how do you do that?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Four to eight years is really a blink of an eye.  And you often find that you're just starting to get your teeth into your issues, and then it's time to go.  But none of the issues --
 
MS. ROBERTS:  -- your children.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s true, that’s true.  (Laughter.)  That’s absolutely true.  But none of the work that we do and any of us does will be concluded at the end of a term.  I tell the young people that I work with around health, the military families that I support, that for me, these issues are -- I say a forever proposition.
 
This isn't work that I'm just doing
 
(Audio drops out.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  -- that I find in this position that there are girls around the world who are looking to us and how we behave and how we carry on our issues.  And they're going to be watching us for decades to come.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  There's that prisoner thing again.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  There it is.  (Laughter.)  Keeps coming --
 
MRS. BUSH:  But there are things that you could establish, like the National Book Festival that I started.  I'm the librarian, and so it was a very obvious sort of thing for me to start.  I started a Texas book festival in Dallas -- I mean, in Austin, when George was governor, and then started one that the Library of Congress now runs.  And so it continues to go on.
 
But Michelle's right -- we'll never finish with education.  We'll never get to rub our hands together and say, oh, we took care of that.  There will be another little class of kindergartners.  And it's something we'll always work on.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Well, again, it's like child-raising.  Yes, it's like child-raising. 
 
MRS. BUSH:  Exactly -- it's never over. 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  But, Mrs. Bush, you all talked about the -- agenda and it gets disrupted, but your agenda got disrupted too.  And you were on Capitol Hill about to testify before Ted Kennedy's committee about education when September 11th --
 
MRS. BUSH:  That’s right.  I mean, of course, things happen that you don’t expect, like what happened to us in the United States on September 11th.  And the National Book Festival that I founded, it -- just then the weekend before -- the Saturday before that, September 8th.  And then I was scheduled -- in fact, I went onto Capitol Hill on the morning of September 11th because I was going to brief the Senate Education Committee on a summit that I had hosted that summer on early childhood education, and got to the Capitol and joined Senator Kennedy in his office then as we watched on television and started to see the towers fall.  And we knew -- he knew and I knew -- that everything had changed for us and for our country, really. 
 
And that’s what happens to presidents also; those kinds of issues come up that you don’t expect, and it changes your whole focus.  In fact, in our new presidential museum, the very first part of it is everything that we thought we would be working on -- tax cuts, the book festival, the faith-based and community service projects, tee ball on the South Lawn of the White House -- (laughter) -- our first state dinner, which was with Mexico -- which is where we really expected to spend a lot of our time in the Americas because we were from a border state -- and then September 11th --
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And that’s how you got involved with the women of Afghanistan.
 
MRS. BUSH:  That’s right. 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  One of the questions that has come in from the South African -- or from the African first ladies refers to both of you as the mothers of girls -- and you are now the grandmother of a girl.
 
MRS. BUSH:  That’s right, the grandmother of another girl -- baby Margaret Laura.  (Applause.) 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  And the question of the education of girls -- and you, of course, know how important it is in your own lives, but as I alluded to earlier, one of the things we now have just so much data on is that if you educate a girl, you can save a country.  And the first ladies here are saying, what can you do to work with them globally for the education of girls?
 
MRS. BUSH:  Well, we both obviously spend a lot of time on education, especially the education of girls.  But the fact is, in the United States, now more girls are graduating from high school than boys.  And more girls are in college and more girls are in masters programs -- women are -- than boys.  And that --
 
(Audio interruption.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  -- Mandela's most important quote of the millions of things he has said is that education is probably the most powerful weapon for change.  But a lot of our kids don’t understand that.  In the United States, many of them take it for granted.  Many of them have a mindset that they can't do it because they've been grown up to be taught that they can't.
 
So there's a large part of my initiative that’s really trying to get into the heads of these young people and use my story as an example of what -- the power of education.  And I tell kids all across the country, I want them to look at me not as the First Lady, but as one of them. 
 
I was a girl who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, my parents didn’t have much money, but they invested in my education.  And they invested in my education as equally as they did my brother; there was no different bar.  And as a result of that training and preparation, I have had opportunities and I am sitting here now as First Lady of the United States of America because of education.  (Applause.) 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  It was -- one of the things that the PEPFAR program is doing is not just reaching -- not just treating people -- which is, of course, wonderful -- but getting to the orphans and vulnerable children.  I was in -- Ethiopia with Save The Children where this 13-year-old girl that had been through our program stood up and started talking about what was needed in the community, and then the local minister from that region told her she was crazy and she just stood right back up and just went -- and I -- you go, girl.  And that really does make a difference in the future.
 
MRS. BUSH:  Well, it is important to reach parents as well.  So the parents know that they need to make sure their children are educated -- in whatever way they can. 
 
We know from research that mothers who can bring in a little bit of money, they're more likely to spend their money on their fees for their children's education and on their uniforms and others things they need to go to school.  So all of it really works together -- the economic empowerment as well as just the understanding of how important education is. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And I just want to take a moment to recognize Mama Kikwete's work educating female orphans here, the school she has started.  (Applause.)  I got an opportunity to sit with some of the children and watch a cultural program.  But there are so many young girls that don’t have families, they don’t have role models.  And as Mama Kikwete understands, they need a safe place to land, a place where they can get food and shelter and love and direction. 
 
So I applaud Mama Kikwete and all the first ladies who are providing that kind of safe harbor for our young girls.  So, congratulations.  (Applause.)
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Well, you talk about the role models, and you talked about yourselves as role models, but, Mrs. Bush, you said at one point, I think that our first ladies are a lot more complicated than they get treated in the media.  I suspect every first lady here would agree with that.  Why do you think that is?  Why do you think that it's always those sort of --
 
MRS. BUSH:  Well, I think -- in the United States, it has a lot to do with the way you look.  That’s a lot of the discussion about women.  That’s a problem everywhere in the United States -- for girls as well.  The way you look -- girls worry about all sorts of problems that they shouldn’t have to worry about.  They should be worried about what they're doing and how they're being educated instead of whether they look pretty or they look sexy.  (Applause.)  
 
But that’s the way we treat women, sadly.  And it's obviously when you read in the press -- I mean, it's like talking about the bangs, or somebody writing about them, really -- worse -- the press writing about them.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Do you think you get put in a box?
 
MRS. BUSH:  Yes, a little bit.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely.  I constantly get asked, especially in the first term, are you more like Laura Bush, or are you more like Hillary Clinton?  And I'm like, is that it?  That’s all I -- (laughter) --
 
MRS. BUSH:  Exactly the problem -- everyone said -- reporters -- are you Hillary Clinton or Barbara Bush?  And I always just said, well, I think I'll be Laura Bush; I do Laura Bush pretty well, having grown up as her.  (Laughter.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But this is also why it's important for us to make sure that more women use their voices and their power.  Because we know, as women, that we're not that complicated, but we are complex.  We are deep, diverse, enlightened people in the universe.  And the world will be better off when our voices are at the table. 
 
We just bring a different perspective.  We are mothers.  We are nurturers.  We have to juggle a lot.  I love my husband, but sometimes when he has, like, five things to do at one time, it's funny to watch it.  (Laughter.)  You don’t know where you jacket is right now -- (laughter) -- can't find that shoe, Mr. President.  (Laughter.)  It's a little --
 
MRS. BUSH:  I always think -- but they're good at focus. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Very focused.  Focus.  (Laughter.)  But I think that that’s the -- and we as women cannot underestimate the value of what we bring, and I think that’s what young girls are taught -- that their voices aren't important; be small, be quiet.
 
MRS. BUSH:  The way we look is more important --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  The way they look is more important --
 
MRS. BUSH:  -- than what they learn and say.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And we are missing 50 percent of the intellect that could go -- and needs to go to -- that’s true.  But I want to keep it fair.  I don’t want the men to feel too --
 
MS. ROBERTS:  Left out.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  -- lesser.
 
MS. ROBERTS:  You know, you talked -- just briefly mentioned the campaign trail.  And of course, both of you spent a great deal of time on the campaign trail, and wives -- and it has been wives so far -- are sort of in the role of validators, character witnesses for their husbands on the trail.  But then you get to the White House and you have another role, which seemed to me to be incredibly difficult, which is that sometimes you have to be the only truth teller. 
 
Now, this is true of all spouses to some degree, but when I have to tell my husband the truth, there's not his political future or the peace of the world riding on it. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It's just "that tie looks bad."  (Laughter.) 
 
MS. ROBERTS:  So how do you deal with sometimes being the only person who can tell your husband the truth?
 
MRS. BUSH:  Well, I have that famous story -- I think I told it to the first ladies last year in New York -- about how Barbara Bush, my mother-in-law, said, don’t criticize George's speeches -- (laughter) -- because she criticized her George's speech and he came home for weeks afterwards with letters saying it was the best speech he'd ever given.  (Laughter.) 
 
So I took her advice -- this was years ago when George was running for Congress -- and we were driving into our driveway after a campaign event in another town.  We were just driving up, and he said, how was my speech?  And I said, well, it wasn't really very good, and he drove into the garage wall.  (Laughter and applause.) 
 
But I think you have to be really careful, actually -- (laughter) -- with -- tells him the truth.  Actually, the President --
 
(Audio interruption.)
 
END
10:24 A.M. SAT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 02, 2013

Remarks by President Obama at Ubungo Symbion Power Plant

Ubungo Plaza, Symbion Power Plant
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

10:58 A.M. EAT
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good morning, everybody.  Please have a seat.  It is wonderful to be here with President Kikwete.  I want to thank everybody from Ubungo Power Plant for this visit.  We are here today to focus on one of the biggest hurdles to Africa’s economic development -- the fact that nearly 70 percent of Africans lack access to electricity. 

And that’s why in my speech in Cape Town I announced a major new initiative -- Power Africa -- to double access to electricity here in Africa.  Now, the first step that we’re going to take is to try to bring electricity to 20 million homes and businesses.
 
And this plant represents the kind of public-private partnership that we want to replicate all across the continent.  This facility was idle.  But the Tanzanian government, under President Kikwete’s leadership, committed to making reforms in the energy sector.  With support from the Millennium Challenge grant, General Electric, and Symbion, they got it up and running again.  More Tanzanians got electricity.  
 
So Power Africa embraces this model.  Public and private resources will be matched with projects led by African countries that are taking the lead on reform.  In this case, African governments commit to energy reforms.  And the U.S. is committing some $7 billion in support, and private sector companies have already committed more than $9 billion.  And this is just the beginning -- because we look forward to even more companies joining this effort. 
 
So this is a win-win.  It’s a win for Africans -- families get to electrify their homes; businesses can run their plants; investors can say if we locate in an African country, that they’re going to be able to power up in a reliable way.  All this will make economies grow.  It’s a win for the United States because the investments made here, including in cleaner energy, means more exports for the U.S. and more jobs in the U.S.  And, obviously, a growing market in Africa will mean more opportunities for all countries.
 
And this reflects -- is representative of my new approach when it comes to development.  I believe that the purpose of development should be to build capacity and to help other countries actually to stand on their own feet -- whether it’s in agriculture, in health systems, in electricity.  Instead of perpetual aid, development has to fuel investment and economic growth so that assistance is no longer necessary, or some of the more successful countries in Africa can start being donors instead of recipients of assistance. 
 
But development isn’t just about the big projects.  Sometimes simple ideas can bring about transformational change.  Some of you saw the Soccket -- the soccer ball that we were kicking around that generates electricity as it’s kicked.  I don’t want to get too technical, but I thought it was pretty cool.  And this is developed by two young women from the U.S., so Soccket turns one of the most popular games in Africa into a source of electricity and progress.  And you can imagine this in villages all across the continent. 
 
So that’s just the example of the kind of creativity that is possible if we’ve got the public sector and the private sector, and the not-for-profit sectors all working together.
 
Now, in order for this to work, then we all have to feel a sense of urgency.  One of the things, Mr. President, that I learned around the business roundtable is if we are going to electrify Africa, we’ve got to do it with more speed.  We can’t have projects that take, seven, eight, nine years to be approved and to get online.  If we’re going to make this happen, we’ve got to cut through the red tape, and that can only happen with leadership like the leadership that President Kikwete has shown.
 
We’ve got to be able to say, when the environmental studies are done, when the planning is done, when the paperwork is done, we can move this approval process, clear the red tape, make sure that the regulatory structure is in place, and get these things up and running in a timely way -- because it’s hard to attract private-sector business if they feel as if their money is going to be tied up forever in uncertainty.  So we want to focus on speed, but we also want to do it right.  And the United States intends to be a strong partner in this process. 

This is my last stop on my trip.  We’re going to be heading home right after this.  And as I think about the week that we’ve spent here, I think about the farmers in Senegal who are harnessing new technologies and, as a consequence, increasing yields; women who started off with one hectare now having sixteen, and doubling or tripling their income, and buying a tractor for the first time and suddenly they’re employing people, and the entire community is benefiting.
 
I think about amazing young Africans that I saw at the town hall meeting down in Soweto, and their eagerness to promote trade and not just to seek aid, to be entrepreneurs and starts businesses, and just hoping that the governments will support them and that the efforts will be made to increase transparency and accountability, and to eliminate corruption.
 
I think about the visit here to Tanzania -- the incredible progress that’s been made in reducing malaria and HIV and tuberculosis; the progress that’s been made in terms of education and agricultural improvements; and progress that’s being made as represented by this power plant. 
 
And I think of all these things, and I see leaders like President Kikwete who are making every effort to do the right thing, and I’m inspired.  Because I’m absolutely convinced that, with the right approach, Africa and its people can unleash a new era of prosperity.  And that’s what Power Africa is all about.  That’s what Feed the Future is all about.  That’s what all our efforts are going to be about -- is making sure that Africans have the tools to create a better life for their people, and that the United States is a partner in that process.  It’s going to be good for Africa, it’s going to be good for the United States, and it’s going to be good for the world.
 
So thank you very much, everyone.  And most of all, thank you, President Kikwete, for your wonderful hospitality.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
11:06 A.M. EAT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 01, 2013

Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts -- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

State House
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

8:58 PM EAT
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  President Kikwete, Madam First Lady, distinguished guests -- on behalf of myself and Michelle, our delegation, our daughters -- we want to thank you for the incredible warmth and hospitality with which you've greeted us throughout the day.  We could not be more grateful.
 
I am not the first American leader to visit this beautiful country.  Other Presidents and prominent citizens have come before me.  We just came from South Africa, where Robert Kennedy famously spoke of how every time we stand up for an ideal, we send out a "tiny ripple of hope."  Less known is that after that trip to South Africa, Robert Kennedy also came here to Tanzania.  It was a little different back then.  Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, rode in the back of an open truck.  The Secret Service has me and Michelle inside a fortified limousine.  We call it "The Beast."  (Laughter.)  As Kennedy's truck made its way through the crowds, he picked up two boys and let them ride alongside them.  The Secret Service doesn't let me do these things.  (Laughter.)  When Kennedy came, it was a public holiday here.  I apologize to Tanzanians that you all had to work today.  (Laughter.) 
 
But while these times have changed, the good feelings stay the same.  We've been deeply touched by the welcome and the warm wishes from the Tanzanian people along the streets as we came in here with you tonight.  Dar es Salaam means "harbor of peace," and we thank you for sharing that sense of peace and brotherhood for which this country and its people have long been known. 
 
Mr. President, you've shown wisdom and strength in seeking reforms so that more Tanzanians can enjoy progress, more opportunity.  And like me, you're strengthened by a woman who is a leader in her own right.  (Applause.)  I am told that Mama Kikwete is fond of a traditional Tanzanian saying -- "My neighbor's child is my child."  And that sentiment I think also captures the feeling, the partnership between -- our two countries must have.  We live thousands of miles apart, but as fellow human beings, we share a sense of obligation to each other, especially to the youngest among us. 
 
So you might say an American child is my child.  We might say a Tanzanian child is my child.  In this way, both of our nations will be looking after all of our children and we'll be living out the vision of President Nyerere.  The core values that he proclaimed for Tanzania also describe what both our countries seek -- wisdom, unity, and peace -- Hekima, Umoja, na Amani.  (Applause.)
 
So what I'd like to do is to propose a toast -- if I can get my water here -- to our gracious Tanzanian hosts, to our Tanzanian friends and to wisdom, unity and peace that we all seek in the world.  Cheers.  
 
END
9:01 P.M. EAT
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 01, 2013

Remarks by President Obama at Business Leaders Forum

Hyatt Kilimanjaro
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

7:30 P.M. EAT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Please have a seat.  I apologize that we were a little bit late, but some of your colleagues had many things to say, and they were all extremely valuable.  And I wanted to spend at least as much time listening as I was speaking.

Let me begin by expressing our gratitude to President Kikwete and the people of Dar es Salaam and Tanzania for their incredible hospitality.  Thank you to our hosts -- the Corporate Council on Africa -- for bringing us here together.  I want to acknowledge the Secretary General of the East African Community, Richard Sezibera; and the President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka.  I want to thank both of them for their incredible leadership.  So please give them a round of applause.  (Applause.) 

I want to welcome all of you who have come from across the region -- Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi -- and beyond, including the United States. 

I’m pleased to be joined by leaders from across my administration, including my new U.S. Trade Representative, Mike Froman.  Mike, where are you?  Stand up so everyone knows.  (Applause.)  Because Mike will be very busy working to increase trade and commerce between the United States and Africa.  We’ve also got USAID Administrator Raj Shah.  (Applause.)  We’ve got a son of Ethiopia who achieved great success in America and now leads our Millennium Challenge Corporation, Daniel Yohannes.  (Applause.)  And President of the Export/Import Bank, Fred Hochberg.  (Applause.)  Director of U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Lee Zak.  (Applause.)  And our Executive Vice President of OPIC, Mimi Alemayehou.  (Applause.)  

Now, we just had an opportunity to have a terrific conversation with some of you about what we can be doing together -- investment between our countries and economic growth here in Africa.  And that’s what I want to just speak on briefly today.

This is the final leg of my visit to Africa.  And at every stop, one of my main messages has been that, even as this continent faces great challenges, this is also a moment of great promise for Africa.  And it’s a tribute to the extraordinary drive, and talents, and determination of Africans all across the continent.  So, yesterday, in Cape Town, I said that I believe this creates opportunities for a new kind of relationship between the United States and Africa -- a partnership rooted in equality and shared interests.  And it starts by building on the progress that we’re seeing and empowering Africans to access even greater economic opportunity. 

And that’s a worthy goal in its own right, but I’m also here because, in our global economy, our fortunes are linked like never before.  So more growth and opportunity in Africa can mean more growth and opportunity in the United States.  And this is not charity; this is self-interest.  And that’s why a key element of my engagement with Africa, and a key focus during this trip, has been to promote trade and investment that can create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  And I believe we can accomplish that, because we’ve got an enormous opportunity to unleash the next era of African growth.  And many of you know it better than I because you’re at the forefront of it. 

Africa is home to many of the world’s fastest-growing economies.  Sectors like retail, telecom and manufacturing are gaining speed.  And here in East Africa, over a decade, the region’s economy quadrupled.  The world is investing in Africa like never before.  In fact, we’re close to reaching a historic milestone where foreign aid to Africa is surpassed by foreign investment in Africa.  And that’s great news.

And that growth is changing lives.  Poverty rates are coming down.  Incomes are going up.  More Africans are joining a growing middle class.  African consumers are spending more and creating new markets where we can all sell our goods. 

So I see Africa as the world’s next major economic success story.  And the United States wants to be a partner in that success.  That’s why OPIC has tripled its investments in Africa, from hospitals in Ghana to biomass power generation right here in Tanzania.  We launched a campaign to encourage more American companies to do business here.  And we’ve increased the value of our financing and support for trade and investment dramatically -- to more than $7 billion.

And we’ve seen progress.  Over the past decade, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, African exports to the U.S. have surged, and support jobs across the continent.  Our exports to Africa have tripled -- with Caterpillar, for example, from my home state of Illinois, selling mining trucks to Mozambique.  Boeing is selling airplanes to Kenya -- Kenya Airways.  American-made solar-powered water treatment systems sold in Senegal and Cameroon, they’re supporting jobs back in Pennsylvania. 

So we’re making progress, but we’re here because we know there’s a lot more work that has to be done.  There’s a lot of untapped potential.  The entire GDP of sub-Saharan Africa is still less than $2 trillion -- which is about the same as Italy.  Our entire trade with Africa is about the same as our trade with Brazil or South Korea -- countries with a fraction of Africa’s population.  Of all our exports to the world, only about two percent goes to Africa.  So I know we could be doing much more together.  And let me suggest a few ways where we can make progress.

First, to keep our trade growing, we need to renew AGOA.  But we’ve also got to make some decisions about how we can make it more effective.  Today, the vast majority of our trade with Africa is with just three countries -- South Africa, Nigeria and Angola.  We need to broaden that.  We need to make sure more Africans are taking advantage of the opportunity to export to the United States.  And one of the best ways to do that is to make sure more African goods can compete in the global marketplace.  And that means more opportunities for small and medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs, and merchants and farmers, including women.  And so I’m pleased that Mike Froman will kick off this process at the next AGOA Forum next month in Addis.

But let me be candid -- improving AGOA is not going to be enough.  The real answer to unlocking the next era of African growth is not in Washington, it’s here in Africa.  And during the discussion with business leaders, we've got some terrific ideas about how we can release that energy. 

First of all, African governments are going to have to take the lead -- not because the United States says so, but because that’s what works best.  And for those willing to do the hard work of the necessary reforms to create a vibrant market economy and business environment, the United States is going to be a steady and eager partner.

So, for example, the vast majority of Africans working in agriculture, that’s potential that has not been fully tapped.  So we need country-led plans that can attract private capital so we’re boosting the income of small farmers, which can fuel broad-based economic growth and lift 50 million Africans from poverty, putting some money in the pockets of the agricultural sector -- small farmers, small shareholders.  Suddenly, you've got customers for a whole range of products, and that gives additional opportunities for African manufacturers or telecom companies or insurance.  Tidjane, he always wants me to talk about insurance.  (Laughter.)   

For the overwhelming number of Africans who are young, we've got to make sure they've got skills and the networks and the capital to realize their ambitions.  So that’s one of the reasons I'm announcing the expansion of my Young African Leaders Initiative, so we’re investing in the next generation of African leaders in government and non-profits, but also in business. 

We know that it has to become easier to do business in Africa.  This is something that we had extensive conversations about, and all of you know this better than anyone -- you've figured out how to work around the constraints, but we need to tear down these constraints.  It still takes way too long -- too many documents, too much bureaucracy -- just to start a business, to build a new facility, to start exporting.  And one of the useful comments that came during our discussion is, if we're going to, for example, build a lot of power around Africa, we can't have a seven-year timeframe for building a power plant.  We've got to move.  Things have to go faster.  And government can have an impact on that -- for good or for ill.

So as part of our partnership for growth, we're working with countries like Tanzania and Ghana to make sure rules and regulations are encouraging investment, not scaring it away.  And, by the way, if we can synchronize regionally between countries so that there is some standardization of how business gets done, that’s helpful too, because then people don’t have to try to figure out and unlock a different bureaucracy and a different system, different paperwork for even the most routine tasks.  

We know that strengthening good governance is good business as well -- and this is something that I've been emphasizing throughout my tour with leaders and with citizens in Senegal and South Africa, and now in Tanzania.  No one should have to pay a bribe to start a business or ship their goods.  You should have to hire somebody's cousin who doesn’t come to work just to get your job -- get your business done.  You shouldn’t have to do that.  (Applause.) 

So as part of our global effort against corruption, we're working with countries across Africa to improve governance, enhance open government, uphold the rule of law.  Because trade will flow where rules are predictable and investment is protected.

We also know that unleashing Africa's economic potential demands more access to electricity.  That’s how businesses keep the light on.  That’s how communities can literally connect to the global economy.  And more than two-thirds of the people in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity, even as Africa's potential to produce energy is vast.  And that’s unacceptable in 2013. 

So that’s why, yesterday, I announced Power Africa -- our initiative to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa.  I want to thank the African Development Bank for its partnership, as well as many companies that have stepped up with commitments, including some here.  And I have to say, those who are involved in this process, they continually tell us the problem is not going to be private-sector financing.  The problem is going to be getting the rules right, creating the framework whereby we can build to scale rapidly.  That's what we're committed to doing. 

We’re starting with countries that are making progress already with reforms in the energy sector -- Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique and Liberia.  And with a focus on cleaner energy, we will initially add 10,000 megawatts of new electricity generation, which expands electricity to 20 million homes and businesses.

We also know that many of the greatest opportunities for growth are often in markets right next door, right across the border.  But if it's easier for you to sell to Europe than it is the folks right next door, we've got a problem.  That's a constraint on Africa development and growth.  So here in East Africa, by reducing tariffs and pursuing a customs union, you’ve doubled trade between your countries in recent years.  But we've got to keep working.  It should not take longer to ship products between African countries than it does to ship to Europe.  A company like Ford shouldn't have to transport cars to Kenya from South Africa by airplane because it's so expensive or unreliable to do it by road or by rail.  So you've got to create a situation which is easier to trade within Africa. 

So today, I’m announcing a new initiative -- Trade Africa -- to boost trade with and within Africa, starting with the East African Community.  (Applause.)  And as part of this effort, we’ll negotiate a regional investment treaty with the EAC.  We’ll launch a new program to facilitate trade by focusing on moving goods across borders faster and cheaper.  We’ll work with the countries involved to modernize customs, move to single more efficient border crossings, reduce bottlenecks, reduce the roadblocks that stymie the flow of goods to market.

And we’re focused on specific goals.  So moving goods faster between ports like Dar es Salaam and Mombasa to Burundi and Rwanda in the interior; or reducing the wait times that truckers endure at the border; increasing East African exports to the United States under AGOA by 40 percent and not simply increasing trade within East Africa -- doubling it.  That’s our aim.  Those are the goals we're setting for ourselves under Trade Africa and here in East Africa.  And we intend to be -- we intend this to be the foundation for similar progress regionally that we can do across the continent in years to come.

And, finally, we’re going to sustain our efforts.  I’m making this trip early in my second term, because I intend for this to be the beginning of a new level of economic engagement with Africa.  So I’m announcing today that my new Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, will lead a major trade mission to Africa in her first year.  My Treasury Secretary and my Energy Secretary will come to the region as well.  We will bring American investors and businesses together in a major conference on doing business in Africa.  Other American trade missions next year will focus on forging new partnerships in agriculture and energy and infrastructure.  So, across the board, we want to step up our game.

And the bottom line is this:  I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to encourage the new growth we’re seeing across Africa, and more trade between our countries.  And that’s what your companies represent.  That’s what the incredible young men and women from across Africa who I met at our town hall in Soweto represent.  I was hearing their stories and the impact they’re already having, and listening to their hopes and seeing their determination to build their lives and their communities and their countries.  And it just reinforced everything I believe about Africa and its people. 

If people across this continent are just given a chance, if they're just empowered with the skills and the resources and the capital -- and government is accelerating and advancing their opportunities as opposed to it being an impediment -- they can achieve extraordinary progress.  And that’s what I believe.  And I know that's what you believe. 

And that's why the United States is going to keep investing in efforts that unleash that potential and its greatest natural resource, which is its citizens.  When we do, I'm absolutely convinced it won’t just mean more growth and opportunity for Africa, it will mean greater prosperity for the United States and indeed the world.  So thank you very much for participating.  I appreciate it.  (Applause.) 

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7:50 P.M. EA