The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 28, 2015

FACT SHEET: U.S.-Japan Cooperation for a More Prosperous and Stable World

The United States and Japan have built a strategic partnership that encompasses a wide range of shared global priorities.  Today the partnership is a fitting reflection of the common interests, capabilities and values of our two countries as we work together to address challenges around the world.  The United States and Japan reaffirm their commitment to enhance their longstanding partnership as follows:

Expanding Bilateral Economic and People-to-People Ties

The United States and Japan are two of the world’s largest economic powers – accounting for nearly 30 percent of global GDP – and our economies are deeply intertwined through trade and investment.  This deep economic integration has been an extraordinarily positive force for job creation, wage growth, innovation, and enhanced prosperity for both countries.  To further develop those bonds, the United States and Japan endeavor to:

  • Further deepen our economic ties.  In 2014, our two-way goods and services trade was $279 billion.  The United States has accumulated foreign direct investment in Japan of $123 billion, while Japan is the second largest foreign investor in the United States, with investment stock of nearly $350 billion. 
  • Enhance cooperation and collaboration between SelectUSA and Invest Japan, noting the importance of our strong and growing bilateral investment relationship.
  • Facilitate expedited travel by Japan’s participation in the U.S. Global Entry Program and U.S. participation in Japan’s Trusted Traveler Program.
  • Expand cooperation in infrastructure development in our respective countries including high speed rail projects, recognizing the importance of developing high speed rail as an investment in the future growth of our economies.
  • Continue to strengthen people-to-people ties, including efforts to increase student, research, and legislative exchanges. Welcome the “KAKEHASHI Initiative toward the Future” and the “TOMODACHI Initiative,” and continued efforts by the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange, which inspired the “Team Up” campaign to promote university-to-university partnerships and programs by the Japan Foundation.

Harnessing Science, Technology, and Innovation for Our Future

Together, the United States and Japan are drawing upon the technical skills and resources of our two nations to:

a. Science, Technology, and Innovation

  • Enhance our cooperation on vital research issues, such as biomedical research, robotics, materials research, and computer and information science and engineering, in close cooperation with academic institutions, government research and development institutions, industry, and through the U.S. – Japan Joint High Level Committee on science and technology, based on the U.S.-Japan Science and Technology Agreement, extended in 2014.
  • Pursue working together to explore ways to better address the challenges of aging societies by harnessing new technologies and developing innovations.

b. Space

  • Reaffirm commitment to secure the responsible, peaceful, and safe use of space.
  • Enhance space cooperation from a broad, inclusive, and strategic perspective including through the whole-of-government U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space with the next session to be held later this year in Tokyo.
  • Underscore the importance of continued utilization of the International Space Station, and ensure close cooperation for the next International Space Exploration Forum.
  • Increase cooperation in both space science and Earth observation, including meteorology, and in Earth science to address global environmental and climate challenges.
  • Recognize continued cooperation on the joint NASA-JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement mission and on global carbon measurements through the agreement with regard to the Orbital Carbon Observatory-2 Satellite and the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-1 and 2 missions.
  • Cooperate on a Global Change Observation Mission follow-on mission to avoid a gap in availability of data required for global weather forecasting.
  • Strengthen the resilience and interoperability of critical space systems, focusing on: space-based positioning, navigation, and timing; enhanced space situational awareness; use of space for maritime domain awareness; research and development in space technologies; and use of hosted payloads.
  • Support international efforts to develop transparency and confidence-building measures to encourage responsible actions in, and the peaceful use of, space, such as an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities.

c.       Cyber and the Internet Economy

  • Strengthen and expand our robust cooperation on cyber issues and the Internet Economy. 
  • Reaffirm commitment to an open, interoperable, secure and reliable cyberspace, to the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance for ensuring the free flow of information, and to Internet Freedom principles as outlined by the Freedom Online Coalition.
  • Hold the next whole-of government U.S.-Japan Cyber Dialogue and the next U.S.-Japan Policy Cooperation Dialogue on the Internet Economy this year; and coordinate closely ahead of relevant international fora such as the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Increase sharing of information about cyber incidents and threats, including the state-sponsored cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, or other confidential business information intended to provide competitive advantages to a state’s companies or commercial sector.
  • Re-affirm our commitment to the recommendations of the 2013 United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Information Security.
  • Affirm that states should uphold additional, voluntary norms of state behavior in cyberspace during peacetime, recognizing that these norms should be consistent with existing international law.  In particular, the United States and Japan share the view that states should not conduct or knowingly support online activity that intentionally damages critical infrastructure or otherwise impairs the use of critical infrastructure to provide services to the public.  The United States and Japan commit to continued discussions to identify specific peacetime cyber norms, noting that wide affirmation among states would contribute to international stability in cyberspace.
  • Strengthen whole-of-government cooperation on critical infrastructure cybersecurity, with an emphasis on preparations for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and mission assurance.
  • Seek to enhance global resilience of critical infrastructure through the promotion of principles like those in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.
  • Share information on threats and vulnerabilities in cyberspace and best practices in organizing, training, and equipping defense forces for the cyber mission.

d.     Energy

  • Strengthen civil nuclear cooperation through the U.S.-Japan Bilateral Commission including in such areas as civil nuclear energy research and development, nuclear security, decommissioning and environmental management, emergency management, and safety and regulatory issues, with a common view that nuclear energy is an important base-load power source that will contribute to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  Continue expert workshops, technical exchanges and involvement by U.S. companies and Department of Energy national laboratories that have contributed to the cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi plant site and the surrounding area.
  • Enhance dialogue on energy, through bilateral discussions on strategic implications and on technical coordination, including through the U.S.-Japan Energy Strategic Dialogue and U.S.-Japan Energy Policy Dialogue.
  • Welcome the prospect of U.S. liquefied natural gas exports in the future since additional global supplies will benefit Japan and other strategic partners.
  •  Following on the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), and for the success of the next NSS to be held in 2016, continue joint efforts on various initiatives.  In particular, work together to remove all highly enriched uranium and plutonium fuel from the Fast Critical Assembly in Japan in 2016.
  • Welcome the entry into force on April 15 of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, and work together to encourage other states to join.
  • Strengthen bilateral and multilateral collaboration in the field of clean energy technologies to create a low-carbon society by concluding an Implementing Arrangement concerning cooperation in Research and Development in Energy and Related fields, a Memorandum of Cooperation concerning collaboration in the field of Carbon Capture and Storage, and an extension of the Hawaii-Okinawa Partnership on Clean and Efficient Energy Development and Deployment, as well as by working together at the Clean Energy Ministerial and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.
  • Continue U.S.-Japan scientific collaboration on methane hydrate research.

Cooperating to Promote Regional and Global Stability

Recognizing that a secure and stable environment makes possible all of the important work we do together, the United States and Japan seek to:

a.      U.N. Peacekeeping

  • Enhance our cooperation on peacekeeping capacity building through such activities as the United States’ African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership and the Japan-UN Project for Rapid Deployment of Engineering Capabilities in Africa.　

b.      Maritime Security

  • Foster respect for international law, including the freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.
  • Coordinate capacity building assistance for maritime safety and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • Strengthen regional cooperation to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships through Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

c. Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism (CVE)

  • Take a comprehensive approach against terrorist activities and violent extremism.
  • Support the U.S. initiative to host the CVE Summit and to launch the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund.
  • Support Japan’s efforts to: strengthen counter-terrorism measures through capacity building assistance for border control in the Middle East/Africa region; enhance diplomacy towards stability and prosperity in the Middle East; and assist in creating societies resilient to radicalization by reducing income disparity and promoting youth employment and education.

Working Together to Promote Sustainable Development around the World

The United States and Japan are dedicated to advancing sustainable development, prosperity, and equality globally by taking joint action to:

a.      Development Cooperation

  • Strengthen mutual collaboration and coordination with our development partners to ensure a successful Third International Conference on Financing for Development.
  • Seek international agreement on an ambitious post-2015 Development Agenda that builds on the momentum of the Millennium Development Goals and serves as a powerful instrument to eradicate extreme poverty and foster sustainable global development. 
  • Promote collaboration on global development, including in Africa, to improve food security, support health and education, increase access to electricity, and further the aims and outcomes of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.
  • Continue working together to support Myanmar’s reform efforts through a new “Initiative to Promote Fundamental Labour Rights and Practices in Myanmar”, launched in November 2014 to improve environments related to labor rights, along with Myanmar, Denmark and the International Labor Organization.
  • Highlight the importance of allocating more of total assistance where needs are greatest and capacity to raise public resources domestically weakest, including least developed countries, low income countries, small island developing states, land-locked developing countries, and fragile and conflict-affected states.
  • Further advance cooperation in the area of disaster risk reduction including collaboration for the Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s capacity building in this area, building on the successful outcomes of the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in December 2014 between the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Cabinet Office of Japan.

b.      Environment and Climate Change

  • Work together and with others to achieve a successful climate change agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.
  • Mindful of the 2 ℃ goal, note U.S. announcement of its post-2020 target on March 31 to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent in 2025, and affirm that Japan intends to submit an ambitious target, as early as possible and well in advance of the COP21.  Both sides acknowledge the need to accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies.  
  • Work together in assisting countries vulnerable to climate change by appropriate means such as the Green Climate Fund.
  • Support the adoption of a Montreal Protocol amendment to phase down hydrofluorocarbons.
  • Issue a statement this year regarding cooperation on conservation and sustainable use of marine fisheries resources, and thus global food security, including through joint efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
  • Work together to secure robust marine fisheries provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership  agreement.
  • Work to contribute to the objective of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by exploring opportunities for cooperation in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility. 
  • Work to alleviate air pollution in the Asia-Pacific region envisioning possible collaboration with local governments to improve and certify their air quality levels.
  • Cooperate in assisting partner countries to create and implement environmental education programs.
  • Take full advantage of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator’s intended visit to Tokyo later this year to meet with Japan’s Minister of the Environment to advance this environmental cooperation.

c. Empowerment of Women and Girls

  • Cooperate to empower women in Southeast Asia and Africa through such activities as business development programs in Ethiopia and business-to-business networking events through the United States’ African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and Japan’s Business Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. 
  • Welcome collaboration between the “World Assembly for Women in Tokyo (WAW!)” and the Equal Futures Partnership.
  • Support training and empowerment of women and girls in Afghanistan including through cooperation between the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency on the PROMOTE Program.
  • Support girls’ education globally, including through: Japan’s community-based “School for All” concept; the United States’ “Let Girls Learn” initiative; renewed cooperation between the Peace Corps and Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers; increased focus and resources in respective bilateral assistance programs, including in Southeast Asia; and support for NGO work.

d. Global Health

  • Cooperate on global health by combatting infectious diseases, including through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and by promoting maternal and child health.
  • Continue partnering to fully end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, rebuild sustainable health systems in the affected countries, and work together to capture lessons learned from the Ebola crisis to strengthen health systems in the Asia-Pacific Region.
  • To advance the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), the United States is to partner with 30 countries, and Japan is to positively consider partnering with 3-5 countries to achieve the GHSA targets and action packages it has committed, and to spur progress toward full implementation of the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations so that partner countries can prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats.  The United States and Japan are to work together and with partner nations to determine this set of countries and to synchronize global health security capacity building toward these common targets.

The partnership between the United States and Japan brings peace and prosperity, health and environmental protection, and advanced technology to the people of our two countries and to the world.  These efforts will continue to deepen and expand in line with the ever closer ties between the United States and Japan.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 28, 2015

U.S-Japan Joint Statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

  1. Japan and the United States reaffirm our commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons and to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We commit to work together for a successful Review Conference in New York that strengthens each of the Treaty’s three pillars: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.  The NPT remains the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime and an essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. In this 70th year since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are reminded of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use.  Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be forever engraved in the world’s memory. Concerns over the use of nuclear weapons underpin all work to reduce nuclear dangers and to work toward nuclear disarmament, to which all NPT parties are committed under Article VI of the Treaty. We affirm that it is in the interest of all States that the 70-year record of non-use should be extended forever and remain convinced that all States share the responsibility for achieving this goal.
  2. We reaffirm our commitment to a step-by-step approach to nuclear disarmament, and recognize the progress made since the height of the Cold War. We recognize that further progress is needed. Immediate next steps should include further negotiated nuclear reductions between the United States and Russia, the immediate start of multilateral negotiations of a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the protocols to the existing nuclear weapon free zone treaties, and the continued reduction of all types of nuclear weapons, deployed and non-deployed, including through unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures.  We further emphasize the importance of applying the principles of irreversibility, verifiability and transparency in the process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In this regard, the United States welcomes Japan’s leadership in the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Initiative and Japan’s role as the Co-Chair Country for the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, and Japan welcomes the U.S. initiative to launch the International Partnership on Nuclear Disarmament Verification. We affirm our readiness to cooperate closely on this new initiative, which will facilitate further cooperation between the nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States with respect to nuclear disarmament efforts.
  3. We further note the positive role played by civil society, and hope that activities such as the UN Conference on Disarmament Issues and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’s Group of Eminent Persons Meeting, both to be held in Hiroshima in August, and the Pugwash Conference to be held in Nagasaki in November, will strengthen momentum toward disarmament and non-proliferation.
  4. We unequivocally support access to nuclear technology and energy for peaceful purposes by states that comply with their non-proliferation obligations.  We are especially pleased to announce that both the United States and Japan which strongly support the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in promoting the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology have pledged to extend their financial support to the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative over the next five years.  The U.S. pledge of $50 million and Japan’s pledge of $25 million will ensure that applications of nuclear science and technology continue to advance medical care and health improvement including cancer treatment and Ebola diagnosis, food and water security, clean oceans and disease eradication in regions of the world most in need. 
  5. The IAEA safeguards system is a fundamental element of that framework and plays a critical role in preventing and addressing challenges to the global non-proliferation regime, by verifying that states are not diverting peaceful nuclear energy programs to develop weapons, and by responding to cases of non-compliance.  We call on all states that have not yet done so to adhere to a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol as the recognized IAEA safeguards standard, and renew our willingness to assist states to implement safeguards agreements. We support the evolution of IAEA safeguards at the State level, and emphasize the importance of maintaining the credibility, effectiveness and integrity of the IAEA safeguards system. To preserve the future integrity of the NPT, action is needed to discourage any state from withdrawing from the Treaty as a way to escape its responsibilities or to misuse the fruits of peaceful cooperation with other states, as well as to encourage States Parties to remain in the Treaty by demonstrating tangible progress in all three pillars of the Treaty.
  6. We underscore the imperative of addressing challenges to the integrity of the NPT and the non-proliferation regime posed by cases of noncompliance.  We welcome the EU/E3+3 deal with Iran and encourage completion of the work that remains to fully resolve the international community’s concerns regarding the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program as well as to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.  We also remain committed to a diplomatic process to achieve North Korea’s complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. We urge North Korea to take concrete steps to honor its commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, fully comply with its obligations under the relevant UNSC Resolutions, refrain from further provocation including nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, return to the NPT and IAEA safeguards, and come into full compliance with its nonproliferation obligations.  
  7. We also underscore the importance of promoting stringent export control in Asia and globally. We are determined to continue to work together to conduct outreach activities for Asian countries with a view to further enhancing their export control capacity as well as to promoting recognition that rigorous export controls foster confidence of trade or investment partners, and create a favorable environment for further economic growth rather than impeding trade and investment.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 27, 2015

Presidential Proclamation -- Workers Memorial Day, 2015

WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY, 2015

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Across the United States, as dedicated Americans clock in at factories, walk onto construction sites, put on their hospital uniforms, and report to do the daily work that drives our Nation's progress, they give meaning to the simple yet profound belief that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead. However, each year millions of people have their shifts cut short by work-related injuries and illnesses, and on average, 12 Americans lose their lives on the job every day. On Workers Memorial Day, we honor those we have lost and recommit to improving conditions for all who work hard to provide for their families and contribute to our country.

Throughout our history, the American worker has labored not only to erect buildings and cities, but also to raise the standards of our Nation's workplaces. Through protests and picket lines, by organizing and raising their voices together, workers have won small and large victories that have pushed our country closer to ensuring safer and healthier jobs for all. Over 40 years ago, the right to a safe workplace was written into law with the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Since then, job-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses have decreased; but there is more progress to be made, and we cannot grow complacent in the fight for better working conditions.

My Administration continues to bolster workers' rights with millions of dollars in funding targeted at inspecting hazardous workplaces and helping employers understand and comply with safety and health regulations. Additionally, to ensure companies receiving taxpayer money maintain a safe workplace, last year I signed an Executive Order to crack down on Federal contractors who put workers' safety and pay at risk. By creating incentives for better compliance and a process for contractors to follow basic workplace protection laws, we are sending a strong message throughout the economy: if you want to do business with the United States, you must respect our workers.

American laborers form the backbone of our economy -- but our economic growth should never come at the cost of their safety or well-being. Those who work every day to put food on the table, provide for their families, or care for their fellow citizens should know their country has their back. Today, as we remember women and men taken from us too soon, we remind ourselves that even one life lost to a preventable job-related incident is one too many, and we focus our efforts on creating a world where success at the workplace is determined only by the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2015, as Workers Memorial Day. I call upon all Americans to participate in ceremonies and activities in memory of those killed or injured due to unsafe working conditions.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 27, 2015

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch

Following her swearing-in this afternoon, President Obama met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the White House to welcome her to the team and reiterate that he looks forward to her leadership at the Department of Justice. The Attorney General thanked the President then updated him on several issues, including the events occurring in Baltimore, Maryland following the death of Freddie Gray, which the Department of Justice is currently investigating. Attorney General Lynch assured the President that she would continue to monitor events in Baltimore and that the Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that might be helpful there.

Earlier today, the President also spoke with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake about the ongoing situation in Baltimore. The Mayor updated the President on efforts to address the demonstrations and maintain peace throughout the city. The President highlighted the Administration’s commitment to provide assistance as needed and will continue to receive updates on the situation from Attorney General Lynch and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. Jarrett also spoke with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan today.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 27, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan Regarding the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia

Today, the President submitted the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia to the U.S. Senate for its advice and consent to ratification.  This is the latest step demonstrating the U.S. commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and to reducing nuclear dangers worldwide. The President looks forward to working closely with the Senate to secure early ratification of this Protocol, as well as the previously submitted Protocols to the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty and the South Pacific Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty. 

Regional nuclear-weapon-free zone agreements reinforce both the commitment of nations not to pursue nuclear weapons and the nearly 70-year record of their non-use.  This protocol, upon entry into force, would obligate the United States not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon States within the regional zone who are Party to the Central Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty and in compliance with their nuclear nonproliferation obligations.

In order to continue to build upon this commitment to nonproliferation and international peace and security, the United States will also continue to work toward the signing of the Protocol to the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty.  In the context of this month’s NPT Review Conference and beyond, the United States will continue to aggressively pursue practical measures to advance all of the NPT’s fundamental pillars, disarmament, nonproliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 27, 2015

Message to the Senate -- Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear- Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, signed at New York on May 6, 2014 (the "Protocol"). I also transmit for the information of the Senate the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (the "Treaty") to which the Protocol relates, and the Department of State's Overview of the Protocol, which includes a detailed article-by-article analysis of both the Protocol and the Treaty.

Ratification of the Protocol is in the best interest of the United States, as it will enhance U.S. security by furthering our objective of preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, strengthen our relations with the states and the people of Central Asia, demonstrate our commitment to the decision taken at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that helped secure that Treaty's indefinite extension, and contribute significantly to the continued realization of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in all its aspects. As the Department of State's Overview of the Protocol explains, entry into force of the Protocol for the United States would require no changes in U.S. law, policy, or practice.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Protocol and give its advice and consent to its ratification, subject to the statements contained in the Department of State's Overview of the Protocol.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 27, 2015.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2015

Remarks By The President At White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

The Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

10:20 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everybody.  Welcome to the White House Correspondents Dinner –- the night when Washington celebrates itself.  (Laughter.)  Somebody’s got to do it.  (Laughter.)

And welcome to the fourth quarter of my presidency.  (Laughter and applause.)  It’s true –- that was Michelle cheering.  (Laughter.)  The fact is, I feel more loose and relaxed than ever.  Those Joe Biden shoulder massages, they’re like magic.  (Laughter.)  You should try one.  Oh, you have.  (Laughter.) 

I am determined to make the most of every moment I have left.  After the midterm elections, my advisors asked me, “Mr. President, do you have a bucket list?”  And I said, “Well, I have something that rhymes with bucket list.’”  (Laughter and applause.)

Take executive action on immigration?  Bucket.  (Laughter.)  New climate regulations?  Bucket.  It’s the right thing to do.  (Laughter and applause.)

And my new attitude is paying off.  Look at my Cuba policy.  The Castro brothers are here tonight.  (Laughter and applause.)  Welcome to America, amigos!  Que pasa?  What?  It’s the Castros from Texas?  (Laughter.)  Oh.  Hi Joaquin.  Hi Julian.  (Laughter.)

Anyway, being President is never easy. I still have to fix a broken immigration system, issue veto threats, negotiate with Iran -– all while finding time to pray five times a day.  (Laughter.)  Which is strenuous.  (Laughter and applause.)

And it is no wonder that people keep pointing out how the presidency has aged me.  I look so old, John Boehner has already invited Netanyahu to speak at my funeral.  (Laughter and applause.)

Meanwhile, Michelle hasn’t aged a day.  (Applause.)  I ask her what her secret is, she just says “fresh fruits and vegetables.”  It’s aggravating.  (Laughter.)

The fact is, though, at this point, my legacy is finally beginning to take shape.  The economy is getting better.  Nine in ten Americans now have health coverage.  (Applause.)  Today, thanks to Obamacare, you no longer have to worry about losing your insurance if you lose your job.  You’re welcome, Senate Democrats.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now, look, it is true I have not managed to make everybody happy.  Six years into my presidency, some people still say I’m arrogant and aloof, condescending.  Some people are so dumb.  (Laughter.)  No wonder I don’t meet with them.  (Laughter.) 

And that’s not all people say about me.  A few weeks ago, Dick Cheney says he thinks I’m the worst President of his lifetime.  Which is interesting, because I think Dick Cheney is the worst President of my lifetime.  (Laughter and applause.)  It’s quite a coincidence.

I mean, everybody has got something to say these days.  Mike Huckabee recently said people shouldn’t join our military until a true conservative is elected President.  Think about that.  It was so outrageous, 47 Ayatollahs wrote us a letter trying to explain to Huckabee how our system works.  (Laughter.)

It gets worse.  Just this week, Michele Bachmann actually predicted that I would bring about the biblical end of days.  (Laughter.)  Now that’s a legacy!  (Laughter.)  That’s big.  I mean, Lincoln, Washington -- they didn’t do that.  (Laughter.)

But I just have to put this stuff aside, I’ve got to stay focused on my job, because for many Americans, this is still a time of deep uncertainty.  For example, I have one friend –- just a few weeks ago, she was making millions of dollars a year.  And she’s now living out of a van in Iowa.  (Laughter and applause.)

Meanwhile, back here in our nation’s capital, we’re always dealing with new challenges.  I’m happy to report that the Secret Service, thanks to some excellent reporting by White House correspondents, they’re really focusing on some of the issues that have come up.  And they finally figured out a full-proof way to keep people off my lawn.  (Laughter.)  It works.  And it’s not just fence-jumpers.  As some of you know, a few months ago, a drone crash-landed out back.  That was pretty serious, but don’t worry, we’ve installed a new, state-of-the-art security system.  (Laughter.) 

You know what, let me set the record straight.  I tease Joe sometimes, but he has been at my side for seven years now.  I love that man.  (Applause.)  He’s not just a great Vice President, he is a great friend.  We’ve gotten so close, in some places in Indiana, they won’t serve us pizza anymore.  (Laughter and applause.)

I want to thank our host for the evening, a Chicago girl, the incredibly talented Cecily Strong.  (Applause.)  On “Saturday Night Life,” Cecily impersonates CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin.  Which is surprising, because usually the only people impersonating journalists on CNN are journalists on CNN.  (Laughter.) 

ABC is here with some of the stars from their big new comedy, “Black-ish.”  (Applause.)  It’s a great show, but I have to give ABC fair warning –- being “Black-ish” only makes you popular for so long.  Trust me.  (Laughter.)  There’s a shelf life to that thing.  (Laughter.)

As always, the reporters here had a lot to cover over the last year.  Here on the East Coast, one big story was the brutal winter.  The polar vortex caused so many record lows, they renamed it “MSNBC.”  (Laughter.)

But of course, let’s face it, there is one issue on every reporter’s mind and that is 2016.  Already, we’ve seen some missteps.  It turns out Jeb Bush identified himself as “Hispanic” back in 2009.  Which you know what, look, I understand.  It’s an innocent mistake.  Reminds me of when I identified myself as “American” back in 1961.  (Laughter and applause.)

Ted Cruz said that denying the existence of climate change made him like Galileo.  (Laughter.)  Now that’s not really an apt comparison.  Galileo believed the Earth revolves around the sun.  Ted Cruz believes the Earth revolves around Ted Cruz.  (Laughter.)  And just as an aside, I want to point out, when a guy who has his face on a “Hope” poster calls you self-centered, you know you’ve got a problem.  (Laughter.)  The narcissism index is creeping up a little too high.  (Laughter.)   

Meanwhile, Rick Santorum announced that he would not attend the same-sex wedding of a friend or a loved one.  To which gays and lesbians across the country responded, that’s not going to be a problem.  (Laughter and applause.)  Don’t sweat that one.  (Laughter.)

And Donald Trump is here.  Still.  (Laughter.) 

Anyway.  (Laughter.)  It’s amazing how time flies.  Soon, the first presidential contest will take place.  And I for one cannot wait to see who the Koch brothers pick.

It’s exciting.  Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker.  Who will finally get that red rose?  (Laughter.)  The winner gets a billion-dollar war chest.  The runner up gets to be the bachelor on the next season of “The Bachelor.”  (Laughter.)  I mean, seriously, a billion dollars.  From just two guys.  Is it just me, or does that feel a little excessive?  (Laughter.)  I mean, it’s almost insulting to the candidates.  The Koch brothers think they need to spend a billion dollars to get folks to like one of these people.  (Laughter.)  It's got to hurt their feelings a little bit.  (Laughter.)

And, look, I know I’ve raised a lot of money too.  But in all fairness, my middle name is “Hussein.”  (Laughter.)  What’s their excuse?  (Laughter and applause.)

The trail hasn’t been easy for my fellow Democrats either.  As we all know, Hillary’s private emails got her in trouble.  Frankly, I thought it was going to be her private Instagram account that was going to cause her bigger problems.  (Laughter.) 

Hillary kicked things off by going completely unrecognized at a Chipotle.  Not to be outdone, Martin O’Malley kicked things off by going completely unrecognized at a Martin O’Malley campaign event.  (Laughter.) 

And Bernie Sanders might run.  I like Bernie.  Bernie is an interesting guy.  Apparently some folks really want to see a pot-smoking socialist in the White House.  (Laughter.)  We could get a third Obama term after all.  (Laughter and applause.)  It could happen.

Anyway, as always, I want to close on a more serious note.  I often joke about tensions between me and the press, but honestly, what they say doesn’t bother me.  I understand we’ve got an adversarial system.  I’m a mellow sort of guy. 

And that’s why I invited Luther, my anger translator, to join me here tonight.  (Laughter and applause.) 

[LUTHER ENTERS]

     LUTHER:  Hold on to your lily-white butts.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  In our fast-changing world, traditions like the White House Correspondents’ Dinner are important. 

LUTHER:  I mean, really, what is this dinner?  (Laughter.)  And why am I required to come to it?  (Laughter.)  Jeb Bush, do you really want to do this?  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Because despite our differences, we count on the press to shed light on the most important issues of the day. 

LUTHER:  And we can count on Fox News to terrify old white people with some nonsense!  (Laughter.)  “Sharia law is coming to Cleveland.  Run for the damn hills!”  (Laughter.)  Y’all, it’s ridiculous.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  We won’t always see eye to eye.

LUTHER:   Oh, and CNN, thank you so much for the wall-to-wall Ebola coverage.  For two whole weeks, we were one step away from the Walking Dead.  (Laughter.)  And then you all got up and just moved on to the next day.  That was awesome.  Oh, and by the way, just if you haven’t noticed, you don’t have Ebola!  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  But I still deeply appreciate the work that you do.

LUTHER:  Ya’ll remember when I had that big, old hole in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and then I plugged it?  Remember that?  Which “Obama’s Katrina” was that one?  Was that 19?  Or was it 20?  Because I can’t remember.  (Laughter.)  

THE PRESIDENT:  Protecting our democracy is more important than ever.  For example, the Supreme Court ruled that the donor who gave Ted Cruz 6 million dollars was just exercising free speech.

LUTHER:  Yeah, that’s the kind of speech like this, “I just wasted six million dollars.”  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  And it’s not just Republicans.  Hillary will have to raise huge sums of money, too.

LUTHER:  Oh, yes.  She’s gonna get that money.  She’s gonna get all the money.  Khaleesi is coming to Westeros.  (Laughter and applause.)  So watch out!  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  The nonstop focus on billionaire donors creates real problems for our democracy.

LUTHER:  And that’s why we’re running for a third term!  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  No, we’re not.

LUTHER: We’re not?

THE PRESIDENT:  No.

LUTHER:   Who the hell said that?  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  But we do need to stay focused on some big challenges, like climate change.

LUTHER:  Hey, listen, ya’ll, if you haven’t noticed, California is bone dry.  (Laughter.)  It looks like a trailer for the new “Mad Max” movie up in there.  (Laughter.)  Ya’ll think that Bradley Cooper came here because he wants to talk to Chuck Todd?  (Laughter.)  He needed a glass of water.  Come on!  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  The science is clear.  Nine of the ten hottest years ever came in the last decade.

LUTHER:  Now, I’m not a scientist, but I do know how to count to 10.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Rising seas, more violent storms.

LUTHER:  We’ve got mosquitos. Sweaty people on the train, stinking it up.  It’s just nasty.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I mean, look at what’s happening right now.  Every serious scientist says we need to act.  The Pentagon says it’s a national security risk.  Miami floods on a sunny day, and instead of doing anything about it, we’ve got elected officials throwing snowballs in the Senate!

LUTHER:  Okay, Mr. President.  Okay, I think they’ve got it, bro. 

THE PRESIDENT:  It is crazy!  What about our kids?  What kind of stupid, shortsighted, irresponsible bull --  (Laughter and applause.)

LUTHER:  Wow!  Hey!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  What?!

LUTHER:  All due respect, sir.  You don’t need an anger translator.  (Laughter.)  You need counseling.  (Laughter.)  So I’m out of here, man.  I ain’t trying to get into all this.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Go.  (Applause.)

LUTHER:  He crazy.  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Luther, my anger translator, ladies and gentlemen.  (Applause.)

Now that I got that off my chest.  Investigative journalism; explanatory journalism; journalism that exposes corruption and injustice and gives a voice to the different, the marginalized, the voiceless –- that’s power.  It’s a privilege.  It’s as important to America’s trajectory -- to our values, our ideals -- than anything that we could do in elected office.

We remember journalists we lost over the past year -- journalists like Steven Sotloff and James Foley, murdered for nothing more than trying to shine a light into some of the world’s darkest corners.  (Applause.)  We remember the journalists unjustly imprisoned around the world, including our own Jason Rezaian.  (Applause.)  For nine months, Jason has been imprisoned in Tehran for nothing more than writing about the hopes and the fears of the Iranian people, carrying their stories to the readers of the Washington Post in an effort to bridge our common humanity.  As was already mentioned, Jason’s brother, Ali, is here tonight and I have told him personally we will not rest until we bring him home to his family, safe and sound.  (Applause.)

These journalists and so many others view their work as more than just a profession, but as a public good; an indispensable pillar of our society.  So I want to give a toast to them.  I raise a glass to them and all of you, with the words of the American foreign correspondent Dorothy Thompson:  “It is not the fact of liberty, but the way in which liberty is exercised, that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives.”

Thank you for your devotion to exercising our liberty, and to telling our American story.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
10:43 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Earthquake in Nepal

The American people express deep condolences for the lives lost in today’s earthquake.  The earthquake and subsequent landslides caused widespread damage and loss of life in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The United States is deploying a team of disaster response experts to Nepal, is providing an initial one million dollars in disaster relief assistance, and stands ready to assist the Government and people of Nepal and the region further in this time of need. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2015

Weekly Address: Fighting for Trade Deals that Put American Workers First

WASHINGTON, DC -- In this week’s address, the President laid out why new, high-standards trade agreements are important for our economy, our businesses, our workers, and our values. These new trade deals are vital to middle-class economics -- the idea that this country does best when everybody gets their fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules. The President has been clear -- any deal he signs will be the most progressive trade agreement in our history with strong provisions for both workers and the environment. It would also level the playing field -- and when the playing field is level, American workers always win.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, April 25, 2015.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 25, 2015

Hi, everybody. I’ve talked a lot lately about why new trade deals are important to our economy.

Today, I want to talk about why new trade deals are important to our values.

They’re vital to middle-class economics -- the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.

These are simple values. They’re American values. And we strive to make sure our own economy lives up to them, especially after a financial crisis brought about by recklessness and greed. But we also live in a world where our workers have to compete on a global scale. Right now, on an uneven playing field. Where the rules are different. And that’s why America has to write the rules of the global economy -- so that our workers can compete on a level playing field.

I understand why a lot of people are skeptical of trade deals. Past deals didn’t always live up to the hype. They didn’t include the kind of protections we’re fighting for today.

We have lessons to learn from the past -- and we have learned them. But trying to stop a global economy at our shores isn’t one of those lessons. We can’t surrender to the future -- because we are meant to win the future. If America doesn’t shape the rules of the global economy today, to benefit our workers, while our economy is in a position of new global strength, then China will write those rules. I’ve seen towns where manufacturing collapsed, plants closed down, and jobs dried up. And I refuse to accept that for our workers. Because I know when the playing field is level, nobody can beat us.

That’s why, when I took office, we started thinking about how to revamp trade in a way that actually works for working Americans. And that’s what we’ve done with a new trade partnership we’re negotiating in the Asia-Pacific -- home to the world’s fastest-growing markets.

It’s the highest-standard trade agreement in history. It’s got strong provisions for workers and the environment -- provisions that, unlike in past agreements, are actually enforceable. If you want in, you have to meet these standards. If you don’t, then you’re out. Once you’re a part of this partnership, if you violate your responsibilities, there are actually consequences. And because it would include Canada and Mexico, it fixes a lot of what was wrong with NAFTA, too.

So this isn’t a race to the bottom, for lower wages and working conditions. The trade agreements I’m negotiating will drive a race to the top. And we’re making sure American workers can retool through training programs and community colleges, and use new skills to transition into new jobs.

If I didn’t think this was the right thing to do for working families, I wouldn’t be fighting for it. We’ve spent the past six years trying to rescue the economy, retool the auto industry, and revitalize American manufacturing. And if there were ever an agreement that undercut that progress, or hurt those workers, I wouldn’t sign it. My entire presidency is about helping working families recover from recession and rebuild for the future. As long as I’m President, that’s what I’ll keep fighting to do.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2015

Remarks by the President at Organizing For Action Dinner

The Ritz-Carlton

Washington, D.C.

5:53 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Jennifer!  Well, I’ve got nothing to add to that.  (Laughter.)  Except just to say thank you. 

I got a chance to see all of you backstage and take pictures with you, and some of you have been able basically to record my progressive graying.  (Laughter.)  You’ve got, like, a picture from each year showing how I get older and Michelle, like Dorian Gray, continues to just stay exactly the same.  (Laughter.)  It’s a little spooky.  (Laughter.)

     But I’m going to be very brief on the frontend so that I can just spend some time talking with all of you.  Obviously we’ve had a very consequential stretch since I last saw all of you.  We have had some tough stuff, like losing in the midterm, but we’ve had some really significant accomplishments -- from a climate deal that promises to lead the world globally in making sure that this planet is working for future generations, to an initiative on comprehensive immigration reform that says we want Congress to work with us but we can’t wait when we’ve got so many families out there who are prepared to come out of the shadows and earn a legal path so that they can do right by this country, to making sure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon without having to resort to war, to the work we’ve done to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program and start making Medicare more efficient, something we actually got done with Congress, which was a big achievement, to just getting confirmed somebody who is going to be the outstanding next Attorney General of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

     So we’ve been busy.  (Laughter.)  And I just have to tell all of you that the reason I am so energized and excited and wake up every morning ready to tackle all the problems that are in my inbox is because I know all across the country there are folks like Jennifer, who don’t get a big spotlight, who aren’t in the newspapers, but because of their story, because of their values, because of their love for a dad and seeing him tear up because he was able to accomplish something he didn’t think was possible, because there are tons of folks like that all across the country, I always feel confident about what this country can accomplish.  I feel confident there is not a problem out there we can’t solve.

     And I’ve now been at this long enough to know that you’re going to have some ups and you’re going to have some downs.  And there are going to be times when the pundits have written you off.  But if you remain true to that North Star, which was the basis of OFA and the basis for my campaigns -- that confidence that when ordinary people come together, they can change this country for the better -- when we’re true to that, I don’t worry about the future.  I feel confident about it. 

And the reason I’ve been able to do it is because I’ve had some folks in this room who have shared those values, through thick and through thin, from the start.  And some of you come from places where it’s really easy to be an Obama supporter and some of you come from places that it’s really hard to be an Obama supporter.  (Laughter.)  But all of you share with me a belief in people like Jennifer. 

And what OFA has been able to accomplish so that now it’s no longer about reelecting me -- it never technically was, but -- (laughter) -- or moving our agenda forward -- but I just wanted to make that point.  (Laughter.)  But the degree to which now you’ve got chapters all across the country that are working on local issues -- we can’t get minimum wage moved through Congress?  Let’s make sure that a city council passes a minimum wage law.  Congress isn’t prepared to do a comprehensive child care --  early childhood education bill?  Let’s find a governor who wants to do it, we’ll work with him.  That kind of grassroots, local, boots-on-the-ground, focused, relentless energy -- that’s changing this country just as much as anything we do here in Washington. 

And probably the most important thing that we’re doing is we are seeing -- and I see it every day, just this successive wave of young leadership that just keeps on coming up, and it’s a little scary now that -- I mean, it’s bad enough that Malia is going to be going to college next fall, but now I’ve got all these folks who are running through this process and now, suddenly, they’re just doing incredible things.  So there are concrete things we’ve accomplished.  There are people who have health care who wouldn’t have it if we hadn’t done what we’re doing here.  There are people who are going to college who wouldn’t have been going to college if we hadn’t done what we did here.  There are young people who would still be living in the shadows but who are now going to school or in our military and serving this country.  If it wasn’t for what we had done here, they wouldn’t have had those opportunities. 

But we’ve got more work to do.  And I just hope you guys feel as inspired as I do about that work, because despite the gray hair, I’ve got a lot more energy -- (laughter) -- and a lot more work that needs to be done.  And I can only do it with you.

     Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)

                                           END                                                6:00 P.M. EDT