The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 13, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil

The Vice President and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff spoke on the phone this morning to review joint efforts to advance dialogue and cooperation between the United States and Brazil on a number of issues, including security, energy, trade, and global cooperation. The Vice President reaffirmed the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship, and emphasized President Obama’s and his commitment to working with President Rousseff to advance our increasingly common interests as two hemispheric and global partners.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 11, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko regarding the situation in the east, additional non-lethal U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, and new sanctions on Russian-backed separatists and their supporters. The Vice President noted with concern the ongoing violations of the ceasefire by Russia-backed separatists near Donetsk and Mariupol and their refusal to allow OSCE monitors unfettered access to the territory they occupy.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 10, 2015

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Dr. Jill Biden at SXSWedu 2015

Good morning! It is so wonderful to be back in Austin.

Thank you Christopher for that kind introduction, and I couldn’t agree more with what you said: Not only should our young people dream big, but, like you, all Americans should have the opportunity to realize their full potential. Christopher is a great example of a student who has seized the opportunity offered by a community college education. Let’s give another round of applause for Christopher—what an amazing student.

I’d like to also thank the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for hosting this summit. In 2010, Melinda Gates joined me for the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, when she announced the Gates Foundation investment of $35 million dollars to help boost Community College completion rates. They understand that education is the great equalizer.

I was backstage listening to the panel discussion and I think we all agree that education is the foundation for building a better life.

People sometimes ask why I choose to teach at a community college.  The answer is simple:  It is the students. I love being in the classroom and seeing the difference I hope to make in the lives of my students. My goal is to always give them confidence in their own abilities—because I know that confidence will carry them well beyond my classroom, in whatever they do.

In my classes, I find single parents who come to school in the evening, weary from a long day, yet eager to create a brighter future for their children. I have taught veterans who return to the classroom to complete their higher education as they look to transition to civilian careers. I have seen workers who have gone as far as they can in their jobs—get the skills they need to reach the next level in their fields. I can honestly say that my students are my heroes.  I am profoundly moved by their determination to learn, and their quest to make a better life for themselves and their families.

In reality, this is the new student: they are often older and juggling work, school, and families. But, we all know that the responsibility for educating students is not the student’s alone.  It is a responsibility that belongs to all of us.  And, we must adapt to meet students’ needs in order to graduate more students.

Helping more students go to college, stay in school and earn their diploma is vital to the future of our economy because by the end of this decade two out of three job openings will require some form of higher education. Currently, nearly half of the 18 million undergraduate students attend one of America’s Community Colleges.  Yet, less than half will either graduate or transfer to a four-year school within six years. Our Administration is committed to ensuring that the students who need help the most, receive the support they deserve.

As Second Lady, I have traveled across the country visiting over 60 colleges to see firsthand the extraordinary work being done to make transformative change on their campuses to help improve outcomes for their students. Yesterday, with Under Secretary of Education, Dr. Ted Mitchell, I visited two community colleges— Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, and Austin Community College right here in the heart of Texas—both of which are using innovative strategies and technology to increase retention, completion and overall student success.

As a result, the completion rate for students at Santa Fe College is twenty percent higher than the national average. And, students at Austin Community College are twice as likely to complete their developmental math course compared to a student enrolled in a traditional one. These two schools are meeting students where they are, and guiding them to where they want to go, through the use of new technological advances. Rather than tell you about it, I would like to show it to you.

[VIDEO]

That’s what’s so special about community colleges.

As a lifelong educator, I am proud to be part of an administration that is committed to investing in our students, and restoring the promise of the American education system.

In the depths of the recession, we increased the dollar amount of Pell Grants as well as the number of students who qualify. We increased tuition tax credits; let students cap their federal student loan payments at 10 percent of their income; and streamlined the financial aid process. Building upon that, today in Georgia Tech, President Obama will announce a student bill of rights to help make sure people who have a loan are treated fairly and are able to pay it back.

We also invested two billion dollars into community colleges, to strengthen partnerships between schools and employers, to give students the opportunity to learn the skills they need to move into jobs that already exist in their communities.

And, as you heard during the State of the Union, President Obama announced his plan to lower the cost of community college to zero—to make two years of community college free for responsible students. We believe all students—new and returning—should be able to graduate, ready for the new economy, without the burden of debt.

During the last six years, we have made real progress, but our work is nowhere near finished.

Over the next few days you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about strategies to improve student success rates. You will discuss the implementation and promising outcomes of guided pathways and hear from institutions that are fundamentally redesigning their practices in order to increase student success. You will also hear students, advisors, and faculty discuss new approaches to college advising and learn how they are personalizing students’ higher education.

When the President and Vice President were first elected to the White House in 2008, I told my husband Joe that I wanted to continue teaching.  So, one week after the inauguration, I was back in the classroom.  Because, teaching is not what I do; it is who I am.

When I started teaching at Northern Virginia Community College, one of the things I wanted to do was help women who were returning to school. So, I started the Women’s Mentoring Project, which pairs women who are over 30 with a faculty member.

As part of the program, I helped one woman who was writing her scholarship essay for admittance into a four-year university.  Her path had not been easy. She left an abusive relationship and was homeless, living in her car with her two children. Once she got into a homeless shelter, she was encouraged to attend a community college, where I met her as part of the women’s mentoring project. She went on to a four-year university where she earned her accounting degree and is creating a better life for herself and her family.

That is what community college is all about.  Community colleges do not pick and choose their students; we work with all students to help them become who they aspire to be. We all reap the benefits when our citizens are well-educated and well-trained. It means that our economies are more vibrant and our future is brighter.

That's why the work that you are doing is so important. The President is behind you. The Vice President is behind you. This is your moment. And together, we can ensure education in our country is accessible, affordable, and attainable for all Americans.

Thank you.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 10, 2015

Op-Ed by the Vice President on the Administration’s Efforts to Assist Countries in Central America

In an op-ed published in The Hill, the Vice President outlines the Administration’s commitment to Central America. The op-ed can be found HERE.

Investing in a secure, stable Central America

By Vice President Joe Biden

Earlier this month, I spent two days in Guatemala meeting with Central American leaders about our mutual efforts to tackle one of the most significant and urgent challenges facing the Western Hemisphere: bringing stability to this impoverished and violent region.

The President and I are determined to address conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and help these countries on their path to economic prosperity. To that end, we requested $1 billion in next year’s budget to help Central America’s leaders make the difficult reforms and investments required to put the region on a more stable and sustainable path.

But we are just as determined to see these countries make their own commitments to depart from business as usual and embark on a serious new effort to deliver opportunity and security to their long-suffering people.

As I told these leaders back in June — and I reiterated earlier this month — as long as you are on the path to meaningful and lasting change, the United States will be there with you.

What we have seen since then has not been business as usual in Central America. With our support, the leaders of the region have committed themselves to a joint plan with the Inter-American Development Bank called the Alliance for Prosperity. It includes reforms of the police systems, the expansion of community centers to create the conditions we know prevent migration, measures to reduce poverty, steps to attract foreign investment and the continuation of our successful efforts to target smuggling networks.

These are challenges the region has long faced but lacked the political will necessary to address. Even before my recent visit, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras had quickly taken steps to start implementing the Alliance for Prosperity. Honduras signed an agreement with an international nongovernmental organization to increase governmental transparency. Guatemala has added new law enforcement officers and reassigned others to areas most in need, helping to reduce Guatemala’s murder rate by one-third. El Salvador passed a law providing new protections for investors.

And during my visit, the region’s leaders signed on to time frames, benchmarks and a first set of measurable commitments. For example, they committed to:

Create independent governmental auditing mechanisms by the end of 2015 to ensure their citizens’ tax dollars — and U.S. assistance — are used as effectively as possible;

Update regulations to promote a regional electricity market and complete the construction of a gas pipeline from Mexico to Central America, making energy more affordable for consumers;

Train additional police officers and expand centers in high-crime neighborhoods for at-risk youth; and

Develop programs to address domestic violence and promote women’s domestic empowerment by 2016, and to send experts to help.

A great deal of work lies ahead.  We have requested $1 billion for Central America in 2016 because Central America cannot do it alone. If the United States is not present, these reforms will falter. But the combination of Central American political will and international support can be transformative, especially since the three governments have committed to match or exceed international assistance to their countries. We intend to focus our assistance in three areas.

• First, improvements in security are essential. El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have three of the five highest per capita murder rates in the world. But some communities in Guatemala and El Salvador are already seeing reductions in violence from well-proven U.S.-sponsored programs in community policing, specialized training, and youth centers similar to the Boys and Girls Clubs.  We want to help their governments extend these programs to help stabilize neighborhoods and eradicate transnational criminal networks that threaten Central America’s communities and our own.

• Second, in the 21st century, good governance is essential to attracting jobs and investment. Court systems, government contracting and tax collection are not widely perceived as fair or transparent. The countries of Central America have some of the lowest effective tax rates in the Americas. Central American countries need to do a better job collecting and managing revenues to invest in their own futures. We will assist in these efforts.

• Third, we are ready to offer technical expertise to help Central American countries attract significantly greater private investment. It’s no secret what is required: clear and streamlined rules and regulations, protections for investors, curbs on corruption, courts that adjudicate disputes fairly, and protections for intellectual property.

As we request $1 billion from the United States Congress to empower Central American leaders to address each of these challenges, our own government needs to move quickly to show results and hold ourselves accountable as well. That means rigorously evaluating our programs to build on what works and eliminate what doesn’t deliver the impact we need. The process is already underway, and we look forward to working closely with Congress to craft the most effective assistance package.

This level of support is nearly three times what we have provided to Central America in the recent past. But the cost of investing now in a Central America where young people can thrive in their own communities pales in comparison to the costs of another generation of violence, poverty, desperation and emigration.

The challenges ahead are formidable. Solving them will take years. But Central America’s leaders have now laid out a shared plan to move their region forward and taken the first steps to make it a reality. If they can deliver, Central America can become the next great success story of the Western Hemisphere.

We seek Congress’s help to make it so.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 09, 2015

Statement by the Vice President on the March 9 Letter From Republican Senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran

I served in the United States Senate for thirty-six years. I believe deeply in its traditions, in its value as an institution, and in its indispensable constitutional role in the conduct of our foreign policy. The letter sent on March 9th by forty-seven Republican Senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressly designed to undercut a sitting President in the midst of sensitive international negotiations, is beneath the dignity of an institution I revere. 

This letter, in the guise of a constitutional lesson, ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American President, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States. Honorable people can disagree over policy. But this is no way to make America safer or stronger.

Around the world, America’s influence depends on its ability to honor its commitments. Some of these are made in international agreements approved by Congress. However, as the authors of this letter must know, the vast majority of our international commitments take effect without Congressional approval. And that will be the case should the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany reach an understanding with Iran. There are numerous similar cases. The recent U.S.-Russia framework to remove chemical weapons from Syria is only one recent example. Arrangements such as these are often what provide the protections that U.S. troops around the world rely on every day. They allow for the basing of our forces in places like Afghanistan. They help us disrupt the proliferation by sea of weapons of mass destruction. They are essential tools to the conduct of our foreign policy, and they ensure the continuity that enables the United States to maintain our credibility and global leadership even as Presidents and Congresses come and go. 

Since the beginning of the Republic, Presidents have addressed sensitive and high-profile matters in negotiations that culminate in commitments, both binding and non-binding, that Congress does not approve. Under Presidents of both parties, such major shifts in American foreign policy as diplomatic recognition of the People’s Republic of China, the resolution of the Iran hostage crisis, and the conclusion of the Vietnam War were all conducted without Congressional approval. 

In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country—much less a longtime foreign adversary— that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them. This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments—a message that is as false as it is dangerous.

The decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle. As a matter of policy, the letter and its authors have also offered no viable alternative to the diplomatic resolution with Iran that their letter seeks to undermine.   

There is no perfect solution to the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program. However, a diplomatic solution that puts significant and verifiable constraints on Iran’s nuclear program represents the best, most sustainable chance to ensure that America, Israel, and the world will never be menaced by a nuclear-armed Iran. This letter is designed to convince Iran's leaders not to reach such an understanding with the United States. 

The author of this letter has been explicit that he is seeking to take any action that will end President Obama’s diplomatic negotiations with Iran. But to what end? If talks collapse because of Congressional intervention, the United States will be blamed, leaving us with the worst of all worlds. Iran’s nuclear program, currently frozen, would race forward again. We would lack the international unity necessary just to enforce existing sanctions, let alone put in place new ones. Without diplomacy or increased pressure, the need to resort to military force becomes much more likely—at a time when our forces are already engaged in the fight against ISIL. 

The President has committed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has made clear that no deal is preferable to a bad deal that fails to achieve this objective, and he has made clear that all options remain on the table. The current negotiations offer the best prospect in many years to address the serious threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It would be a dangerous mistake to scuttle a peaceful resolution, especially while diplomacy is still underway.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 09, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski about bilateral relations, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and European energy security. The Vice President noted U.S.-Polish relations were excellent and agreed to continue close consultations with Poland about threats to European security, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vice President and President Komorowski agreed that Russia and Russia-backed separatists had to fulfill all of the obligations under the Minsk agreements, including unfettered access for OSCE monitors seeking to verify the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the withdrawal of Russian troops and equipment from Ukrainian territory, and return to Ukrainian control of the international border by the end of the year. They agreed that any further escalation of the conflict by Russia would be met by increasing costs.  On energy security, the leaders agreed on the importance of infrastructure projects that would help create a single, integrated energy market in Europe.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 05, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk about the situation in eastern Ukraine and the passage of crucial economic and governance reform legislation. The Vice President expressed condolences for the loss of life in the mine accident in Donetsk Oblast and for the casualties sustained due to artillery fire along the line of contact, and regretted the refusal of Russia-backed separatists to allow Ukrainian rescue teams access to the site of the mine accident. The Vice President congratulated Prime Minister Yatsenyuk on the passage of crucial reform legislation in the Rada that will help Ukraine return to economic health and pave the way for additional front-loaded financial support from the international community. Finally, the Vice President and Prime Minister expressed their concern regarding the refusal of Russia-backed separatists to allow for unimpeded access for OSCE monitors to the territory they control, as called for in the Minsk Implementation Plan. The two leaders also expressed their concern about continued separatist attacks against Ukrainian forces and civilian areas.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 04, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Abadi of Iraq

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. They discussed ongoing military operations in Iraq, including in Anbar and Salah ah Din provinces. The Vice President expressed his support for Prime Minister Abadi’s leadership of Iraq’s fight against ISIL. The Vice President specifically welcomed the Prime Minister’s call from the frontlines for the protection of civilians and the importance of ensuring all armed groups act under control of the state. The Vice President further commended Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders for building a national front before launching the ongoing operation near Tikrit. He also noted the Iraqi government’s efforts to enable fighters from Salah ah Din to participate in reclaiming their own territory from ISIL and to ensure displaced populations can return to their homes after ISIL is defeated and local areas are stabilized. The Vice President and Prime Minister each reaffirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States in multiple fields under the Strategic Framework Agreement, and agreed to continue our close security cooperation as Iraqi forces increasingly take the fight to ISIL.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 04, 2015

Vice President Biden Announces New White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

WASHINGTON, DC---Today, Vice President Biden announced the appointment of Caroline "Carrie" Bettinger-López as the new White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Bettinger-López is a leading advocate for gender-based equality and human rights, who has worked at local, national, and international levels to bring an end to violence against women. She is the second person to serve as the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women—a position created under the Obama Administration specifically to advise the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. She is replacing Lynn Rosenthal, who left earlier this year to become the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

“Throughout her career, Carrie has made clear that the most basic of human rights is freedom from violence,” Vice President Biden said. “I am honored that she will be joining my staff to continue the work we began with the Violence Against Women Act, and I know she will be a strong voice for women everywhere who continue to suffer from sexual assault and domestic violence in the worst prison on earth – the four walls of their own home.”

As a litigator and an advocate, Ms. Bettinger-López has fought for the protection of victims of domestic violence and the provision of remedies for violations of survivors’ rights. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Bettinger-López engaged in social services advocacy and youth education centered on women and girls’ empowerment, as well as anti-violence programming.

Most recently, Ms. Bettinger-López is the founder and Director of the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Miami School of Law, where she served as an Associate Professor of Clinical Legal Education. Her scholarship included a focus on violence against women, gender and race discrimination, and immigrant rights.

In her new role as White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Ms. Bettinger-López will serve as an Advisor to the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues; be a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy communities; collaborate with federal agencies on the implementation of VAWA programs and the coordination of federal efforts to address violence against women and girls both domestically and globally; and, drive the development of new initiatives and policies to combat domestic violence and sexual assault with key public and private stakeholders.

Ms. Bettinger-Lopez will continue to lead the Administration’s efforts to putting an end to violence against women. Among many important steps forward, the Administration has led efforts to combat campus sexual assault, worked to prevent domestic violence homicides, and fought to extend protections to women of color and LGBT Americans who have been victims of violence.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 03, 2015

Remarks by the Vice President at a Plenary with Central American Leaders

National Palace of Culture
Guatemala City, Guatemala

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  President Molina, thank you for once again hosting us all.  And to all the Presidents -- I’ve never been with so many Presidents at one time -- to all the Presidents, including the president of the Inter American Development Bank, President Moreno.  He and I have been through this once before in Plan Colombia when he was the ambassador of Colombia to the United States. 
 
And I want to also introduce to you -- I have with me a leading member of Congress, Congressman Meeks, who very much wants to see this plan come to fruition. 
 
It’s good to be here again.  It’s good to be here with folks who are becoming old friends.  We’ve kept you waiting.  You probably thought we became too close friends by our discussions in private, but we got a lot done.
 
We’ve had -- we’ve been very hard at work over the last year, and I think it’s fair to say we’ve come a long way.  When I was here last June, we came together to craft a response to the surge of immigration on our southern border of the United States of unaccompanied children.  We met again then in July in Washington with President Obama.  And we reviewed our progress and began to talk about Plan Colombia.  I’m not sure which of you brought it up, but simultaneously all three Presidents talked about why can't we do what you did with Colombia to address Central America’s interlocking challenges of security, governance, economic development. 
 
And you announced that plan, Alliance for Prosperity, last November.  And President Obama and I committed to supporting your efforts.  For those who are here in the press, it is a detailed plan.  It is a detailed plan put together with the help of the Bank and the Presidents that we think meets the requirements of what has to be done.
 
That's why we -- the President and I -- requested $1 billion for the 2016 budget from the United States Congress for Central America.
 
We're here today because our teams, for us to get down to the business of implementing the details of this plan.  As that old expression goes, the devil is in the details.  That's why I brought with me leading members from the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Justice Department, the Agency for International Development.  General Kelly, you're more popular down here than I think anybody is.  I don't know I keep talking to the President of Honduras to make sure he doesn't have you move your headquarters to Honduras.  (Laughter.)  He likes you so much.  But the Commander of the United States Southern Command, as well as senior members of the Foreign Affairs Committees in the House and the Senate and representatives.
 
Look, we're gathered here because we're united in a simple shared belief -- so long as the political will exists, there’s no reason why Central America cannot become the next great success story in the Western Hemisphere.  It’s as simple and basic as that.  You can and you should.
 
Mr. President, you said that we’ve recognized our responsibilities.  We have.  And you're recognizing your responsibilities, as well.  This is a two-way street.  And we, your neighbors, have every reason to help you succeed.  Because what happens in Central America, as my colleagues have pointed out, is a matter of intense interest to the United States of America.  Six million young people will enter the labor force in Central America in the next 10 years -- 6 million young people will enter the labor force in the next 10 years.
 
So it’s in our self-interest, and I would suggest -- respectfully suggest yours -- to help them find jobs and physical security.  Because the people who tend to leave are the people with the most talent.  The people who tend to leave are the people who can be the greatest -- make the greatest contributions to a community. 
 
And if we don't do this, all of us will feel the consequences.  You know better than I could ever how formidable the challenges can be.  But we're here today because this is a moment of genuine opportunity.  I can't think of a time when the opportunity has been so great to ensure that your economies no longer stay bogged down while your neighbors surge ahead; to reinforce the rule of law; to roll back corruption; to attract billions, tens of billions of dollars in investment from around the world -- foreign direct investment.  I come from a state that, in fact, is the corporate capital of America.  More corporations are headquartered there than anyplace else.  They want to come here.  Corporate America wants to come.  The rest of the world wants to come.  There’s great opportunities in human capital here.  But you have to end once and for all the climate of endemic violence and poverty. 
 
That's why I’ve made it clear to the leaders of the region that if they're ready to take ownership of this plan, we, the United States, and I predict the international community will be ready to make significantly greater investments to help you solve each of the problems that you face. 
 
That's why the Alliance for Prosperity you’ve put forward is so very important.  It recognizes the urgency of the moment.  I remember when we talked about Plan Colombia, and the president of the bank will remember, I said, well, what is your plan?  Its recommendations, if implemented, will transform the region -- not from the outside, but from the inside.  That's how regions get transformed. 
 
Let me be frank, some in my own government and in the U.S. Congress have asked me, “How do we know this isn’t just going to be business as usual?  How is this any different than anything that's come before?”
 
Well, the President and I believe that this is the time that it will be different because the effort starts with a demonstration of political will from within the region.
 
Look, we had a basic choice to make, and we all had to make this choice:  Do we continue to just try to mitigate the problems we're talking about?  Or do we attempt to solve them?  Mitigate or solve?  Now is the time to attempt to solve these problems.  No amount of foreign money can succeed without it coming from within.  This time can be different because you're asking to be measured and held accountable for the progress in implementing your own plan.
 
In the last year we’ve been working together, I’ve seen you take steps to implement reforms.  El Salvador passed a law to attract investors by offering more stability and predictability -– through assurances that tax and customs regulations will not change over the time of an investment.  That's standard practice everywhere in the world.  But now it’s standard practice in El Salvador.
 
Guatemala has removed senior officials suspected of corruption and aiding human trafficking.  You’re ending business disputes to clear the way for new investment.  You’re improving Guatemala’s power grid, expanding coverage, reducing prices.
 
The Government of Honduras signed a unique accountability agreement with Transparency International.  You should be complimented on that.  That's a big deal -- featuring a commitment to share more information with the public about government procurement, including for your security forces. 
 
Again, you're moving in the right direction.  That is standard operating procedure for countries that are doing well.  You’ve taken steps to tackle criminal networks responsible for your region’s security challenges, at great personal danger to yourselves.  It takes a lot of courage, Mr. President.
 
After a lifetime in government, I understand the wisdom in the words of a famous Guatemalan poet who said, “Every task, whether literary, political, or scientific, should be backed up by action.”  Every task should be backed up with action.
 
That's what we're here today to talk about, and we’ll talk about it in much more detail tomorrow.
 
These Presidents have committed to reforms and given themselves deadlines to take concrete steps.  We agreed on the actions required of us, the United States -- actions like promoting a better business environment for investors and small business owners; actions in your case like strengthening police and justice reforms; actions to make your government more transparent, increase revenue bases, make your streets safer.
 
For our part, we pledge to find the resources and expertise to help you in support of those efforts.  We focused on areas you've raised in the Alliance for Prosperity -- governance, security.  Together, we’ve reached a window of opportunity that will not stay open for very long.
 
This is the year that we're going to reach a trade deal that links dozens of nations in the Pacific region closer together.  We’re ready to help you fully implement your own trade agreements -- with you to help keep Central America up with the rest of the region.
 
This is time when major private companies will make decisions about where to invest, and so will the United States Congress.  This is the moment when opportunities can be made or lost. 
 
I want to talk about the work ahead and how we make the most of the moment. 
 
First, let me start with security, which makes everything else possible.  We want to help you stabilize your neighborhoods, take on the transnational criminal networks endangering your people and ours.  Some communities in Guatemala and El Salvador are already seeing the benefit of U.S.-funded programs like community policing.  Matter of fact, I’m going to a facility after this today to see that.
 
As I mentioned, and I hope -- I apologize for mentioning it again, I learned in crafting the 1994 crime bill in the United States, when we had -- when violent crime was at an all-time high, that specialized police training and youth centers like Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs can and do reduce crime.  I look forward to discussing tomorrow the prospects for holding a regional dialogue this year to forge joint responses to community challenges.
 
Second, good governance, which is an integral part of security.  You can have all the security in the world.  Without good governance, your folks don't have much of an opportunity.  You know better than I do the work that needs to be done to make the courts, the government, contracting, tax collection come to be perceived as fair and transparent because the truth is they are not perceived that way right now. 
 
Victims of crime need to know that criminals will face justice.  Citizens and businesses need to believe that the legal system works for them, ordinary people, not against them.  We know strong judicial institutions aren’t built overnight.  We face similar challenges back home.  That's why the work of organizations like the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala are so important.  One idea I’d like for us to consider tomorrow is asking the United [Nations] to stand up a regional body. 
 
Right now your countries have among the lowest effective tax rates in the entire Western Hemisphere.  The only way to collect funds necessary to invest in your future is to do others to do the same, is to take action to collect and manage the revenues and make sure they are managed effectively, efficiently, and transparently so people know where the money is going.
 
Government money alone won’t get the job done.  This simply isn’t enough to offer.  You need private investment to create jobs for your people in the formal sector, with good wages, and secure futures.  For that, you need to make a compelling case for companies around the world to invest in Central America and for patriotic Central Americans to invest at home, not abroad.  It’s awful hard, gentlemen, to convince foreign companies to come and invest when your own companies will not invest.  They're investing abroad.  In other words, we need the right business climate.
 
And while there’s no formula for success, there are certain common ingredients that everyone knows.  There’s no mystery in the 21st century what is basically required.  Clear rules and regulations, protection for investors, courts that adjudicate disputes fairly, serious efforts to root out corruption, transparency to ensure the international assistance and your own tax dollars are spent accountably and wisely. 
 
Up and down the hemisphere, countries are succeeding by integrating their economies.  Canada, the United States, and Mexico now have $1 trillion of trade under NAFTA -- $1 trillion.  We're jointly working together.
 
The Trans-Pacific Partnership promises to unite economies representing 40 percent of the global trade in a new economic community defined by rising standards and lowering barriers.  Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru are acting with urgency to build a Pacific Alliance around similar principles.  It remains far too slow and far too costly to move legal goods through Central America.  The Inter American Development Bank estimates that goods move at only 10 miles per hour from one end of this region to the other. 
 
Your place at the geographic crossroads of this hemisphere should be viewed as a remarkable asset and taken advantage of. We want to help you make the most of that.  That means reducing tariffs, investing infrastructure, and borders, streamlining customs, partnering with each other and your neighbors on issues like roads and energy. 
 
And we're ready to work with you to get more out of the free trade agreement you have with us, and integrate your economies with each other. 
 
As you take these steps, we in the United States are ready to do our part.  That's why in addition to the billion dollar request for Central America, we're working with Congress to significantly increase our assistance to you in this region this year because we need to start showing results now.
 
At the same time we're streamlining how we can do assistance so it’s faster, more flexible, expand what works and revise or eliminate what doesn't work in what we're doing.  We don't have it all perfectly down.  We have to get it right, as well.
 
I recently wrote in the pages of The New York Times to make the case to the people of my country for a $1 billion investment in Central America next year.  But nothing makes the case more efficiently and effectively than your own actions.  Nothing better demonstrates your seriousness, because we -- the Obama administration and our Congress -- believe the question is no longer:  What can we do for the hemisphere?  It’s:  What can we do with countries in the hemisphere together?
 
We all have a role to play.  For example, Mexico can help facilitate trade between North and Central America and make the border with Guatemala safer and more efficient.  That benefits everyone.  International financial institutions can help make it easier to start businesses, help businesses and governments partner together to train workers, help the region lower energy costs, and fully integrate Central America’s energy grids eventually to North and South America.  It won’t be easy, but it’s within our wheelhouse, as we say.  We can do it.  We can get this done.  We know because it has been done here in the Americas.
 
In 1999, I spent more time with this man, the president of the bank, and I was the architect of Plan Colombia for the United States’ Senate.  Today Colombia is a nation transformed, just as you hope to be 10 to 15 years from now.  And the key ingredient in that effort was not U.S. money; it was Colombian political will.  It was a series of leaders willing to make significant reforms when it came to security, governance, and human rights.  Colombians paid higher taxes.  The government cleaned up their courts at great cost.  They vetted police forces.  They reformed the rules of Congress. 
 
Yes, the United States invested $9 billion over those years in Plan Colombia, but Colombia invested $36 billion.  That's what it takes.  Think about what it would mean if we get this right.  Central America would become the embodiment of this hemisphere’s remarkable rise -- not the exception to it, the embodiment of it, a place where success is measured by hard work, not by who you know; where criminals don't escape justice; and citizens are treated fairly and with respect; where 43 million men, women, and children can find dignity, safety and the lives they want in the communities where they grow up, not having to leave.
 
As the saying goes, if you will it, it’s not a dream.  This is not a dream.  This is eminently possible.  And so long as you demonstrate the will to move forward, we will try to get better.  We will try to do our job even better.  We will stand by your side, and we will help you realize those dreams.  And we will benefit as much as you as well.  This is in our mutual best interest, and it’s totally within our capacity to get it done.
 
I look forward to tomorrow when we get into more detail, and I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.  (Applause.)
 
END