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The White House
For Immediate Release

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Celebrating Our Fathers

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, June 14, 2014

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Celebrating Our Fathers

WASHINGTON, DC – In this week’s message, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez underscored the importance of having fathers and mentors ahead of Father’s Day. He encouraged everyone to sign up to be a mentor through the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, and previewed the first-ever White House Working Families Summit. As a father of three children, Secretary Perez stands with the President in his effort to support all parents across the country.

The audio of the address and video of the message will be available online HERE

Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez

Spanish Weekly Address

The White House

Hi, everybody. Tomorrow is Father’s Day. If you haven’t got Dad a gift yet, there’s still time. Barely.

But the truth is, what we give our fathers can never match what our fathers give us. 

I know how important it is to have a dad in your life. I’m the happy father of three children. Every chance the President gets, he encourages fathers to get more involved in their children’s lives, because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to have a child – it’s the courage to raise one. 

The President has met with a lot of young people who don’t have a father figure around. And while there’s nothing that can replace a parent, any of us can do our part to be a mentor, a sounding board, a role model for a kid who needs one. Earlier this year, the President launched an initiative called My Brother’s Keeper – an all-hands-on-deck effort to help more of our young men reach their full potential. And if you want to be a mentor to a young man in your community, you can find out how at WhiteHouse.gov/MyBrothersKeeper. 

Taking responsibility for being a great parent or mentor is a choice that we, as individuals, have to make. No government program can ever take the place of a parent’s love. Still, as a country, there are ways we can help support dads and moms who make that choice. 

That’s why, earlier this week, President Obama brought working dads from across America to the White House to talk about the challenges they face. In a few weeks, the President will hold the first-ever White House Working Families Summit. 

Moms and dads deserve affordable child care, and time off to care for a sick parent or child without running into hardship. Women deserve equal pay for equal work. And no full-time worker should have to raise a family in poverty – Americans deserve a minimum wage that lets hard-working parents provide for their children. 

There’s nothing more precious in life than the time we spend with our children.

Let’s make sure every dad who works hard and takes responsibility has the chance to know that feeling, not just on one Sunday, but every day of the year. Thanks everybody, happy Father’s Day, and have a great weekend. 

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