Presidential politics

Remarks by the President to the House Democratic Congress

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a set.

To Leader Reid, to Steny Hoyer, John Larson, Xavier Becerra, Jim Clyburn, Chris Van Hollen, to an extraordinary leader and extraordinary Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and to all the members here today, thank you very much for having me.  (Applause.)  Thanks for having me and thanks for your tireless efforts waged on behalf of health insurance reform in this country. 

I have the great pleasure of having a really nice library at the White House.  And I was tooling through some of the writings of some previous Presidents and I came upon this quote by Abraham Lincoln:  “I am not bound to win, but I’m bound to be true.  I’m not bound to succeed, but I’m bound to live up to what light I have.”

This debate has been a difficult debate.  This process has been a difficult process.  And this year has been a difficult year for the American people.  When I was sworn in, we were in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression.  Eight hundred thousand people per month were losing their jobs.  Millions of people were losing their health insurance.  And the financial system was on the verge of collapse.

And this body has taken on some of the toughest votes and some of the toughest decisions in the history of Congress.  Not because you were bound to win, but because you were bound to be true.  Because each and every one of you made a decision that at a moment of such urgency, it was less important to measure what the polls said than to measure what was right.

A year later, we’re in different circumstances.  Because of the actions that you’ve taken, the financial system has stabilized.  The stock market has stabilized.  Businesses are starting to invest again.  The economy, instead of contracting, is now growing again.  There are signs that people are going to start hiring again.  There’s still tremendous hardship all across the country, but there is a sense that we are making progress -- because of you.

But even before this crisis, each and every one of us knew that there were millions of people across America who were living their own quiet crises.  Maybe because they had a child who had a preexisting condition and no matter how desperate they were, no matter what insurance company they called, they couldn’t get coverage for that child.  Maybe it was somebody who had been forced into early retirement, in their 50s not yet eligible for Medicare, and they couldn’t find a job and they couldn’t find health insurance, despite the fact that they had some sort of chronic condition that had to be tended to.

     Every single one of you at some point before you arrived in Congress and after you arrived in Congress have met constituents with heart-breaking stories.  And you’ve looked them in the eye and you’ve said, we’re going to do something about it -- that’s why I want to go to Congress. 

And now, we’re on the threshold of doing something about it.  We’re a day away.  After a year of debate, after every argument has been made, by just about everybody, we’re 24 hours away. 

As some of you know, I’m not somebody who spends a lot of time surfing the cable channels, but I’m not completely in the bubble.  I have a sense of what the coverage has been, and mostly it’s an obsession with “What will this mean for the Democratic Party?  What will this mean for the President’s polls?  How will this play out in November?  Is this good or is this bad for the Democratic majority?  What does it mean for those swing districts?” 

And I noticed that there’s been a lot of friendly advice offered all across town.  (Laughter.)  Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Karl Rove -- they’re all warning you of the horrendous impact if you support this legislation.  Now, it could be that they are suddenly having a change of heart and they are deeply concerned about their Democratic friends.  (Laughter.)  They are giving you the best possible advice in order to assure that Nancy Pelosi remains Speaker and Harry Reid remains Leader and that all of you keep your seats.  That’s a possibility.  (Laughter.)

But it may also be possible that they realize after health reform passes and I sign that legislation into law, that it’s going to be a little harder to mischaracterize what this effort has been all about. 

Because this year, small businesses will start getting tax credits so that they can offer health insurance to employees who currently don’t have it.  (Applause.)  Because this year, those same parents who are worried about getting coverage for their children with preexisting conditions now are assured that insurance companies have to give them coverage -- this year.  (Applause.) 

Because this year, insurance companies won’t suddenly be able to drop your coverage when you get sick -- (applause) -- or impose lifetime limits or restrictive limits on the coverage that you have.  Maybe they know that this year, for the first time, young people will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they’re 26 years old and they’re thinking that just might be popular all across the country.  (Applause.)

And what they also know is what won’t happen.  They know that after this legislation passes and after I sign this bill, lo and behold nobody is pulling the plug on Granny.  (Laughter.)  It turns out that in fact people who like their health insurance are going to be able to keep their health insurance; that there’s no government takeover.  People will discover that if they like their doctor, they’ll be keeping their doctor.  In fact, they’re more likely to keep their doctor because of a stronger system.

It’ll turn out that this piece of historic legislation is built on the private insurance system that we have now and runs straight down the center of American political thought.  It turns out this is a bill that tracks the recommendations not just of Democrat Tom Daschle, but also Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker; that this is a middle-of-the-road bill that is designed to help the American people in an area of their lives where they urgently need help.

Now, there are some who wanted a single-payer government-run system.  That’s not this bill.  The Republicans wanted what I called the “foxes guard the henhouse approach” in which we further deregulate the insurance companies and let them run wild, the notion being somehow that that was going to lower costs for the American people.  I don’t know a serious health care economist who buys that idea, but that was their concept.  And we rejected that, because what we said was we want to create a system in which health care is working not for insurance companies but it’s working for the American people, it’s working for middle class families.

So what did we do?  What is the essence of this legislation?  Number one, this is the toughest insurance reforms in history.  (Applause.)  We are making sure that the system of private insurance works for ordinary families.  A prescription -- this is a patient’s bill of rights on steroids.  So many of you individually have worked on these insurance reforms -- they are in this package -- to make sure that families are getting a fair deal; that if they’re paying a premium, that they’re getting a good service in return; making sure that employers, if they are paying premiums for their employees, that their employees are getting the coverage that they expect; that insurance companies are not going to game the system with fine print and rescissions and dropping people when they need it most, but instead are going to have to abide by some basic rules of the road that exemplify a sense of fairness and good value.  That’s number one.

The second thing this does is it creates a pool, a marketplace, where individuals and small businesses, who right now are having a terrible time out there getting health insurance, are going to be able to purchase health insurance as part of a big group -- just like federal employees, just like members of Congress.  They are now going to be part of a pool that can negotiate for better rates, better quality, more competition. 

And that’s why the Congressional Budget Office says this will lower people’s rates for comparable plans by 14 to 20 percent. That’s not my numbers -- that’s the Congressional Budget Office’s numbers.  So that people will have choice and competition just like members of Congress have choice and competition.

Number three, if people still can’t afford it we’re going to provide them some tax credits -- the biggest tax cut for small businesses and working families when it comes to health care in history.  (Applause.)

And number four, this is the biggest reduction in our deficit since the Budget Balance Act -- one of the biggest deficit reduction measures in history -- over $1.3 trillion that will help put us on the path of fiscal responsibility.  (Applause.)

And that’s before we count all the game-changing measures that are going to assure, for example, that instead of having five tests when you go to the doctor you just get one; that the delivery system is working for patients, not just working for billings.  And everybody who’s looked at it says that every single good idea to bend the cost curve and start actually reducing health care costs are in this bill.

So that’s what this effort is all about.  Toughest insurance reforms in history.  A marketplace so people have choice and competition who right now don’t have it and are seeing their premiums go up 20, 30, 40, 50 percent.  Reductions in the cost of health care for millions of American families, including those who have health insurance.  The Business Roundtable did their own study and said that this would potentially save employers $3,000 per employee on their health care because of the measures in this legislation. 

And by the way, not only does it reduce the deficit -- we pay for it responsibly in ways that the other side of the aisle that talks a lot about fiscal responsibility but doesn’t seem to be able to walk the walk can’t claim when it comes to their prescription drug bill.  We are actually doing it.  (Applause.)  This is paid for and will not add a dime to the deficit -- it will reduce the deficit.  (Applause.)

Now, is this bill perfect?  Of course not.  Will this solve every single problem in our health care system right away?  No.  There are all kinds of ideas that many of you have that aren’t included in this legislation.  I know that there has been discussion, for example, of how we’re going to deal with regional disparities and I know that there was a meeting with Secretary Sebelius to assure that we can continue to try to make sure that we’ve got a system that gives people the best bang for their buck.  (Applause.)

So this is not -- there are all kinds of things that many of you would like to see that isn’t in this legislation.  There are some things I’d like to see that’s not in this legislation.  But is this the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare?  Absolutely.  Is this the most important piece of domestic legislation in terms of giving a break to hardworking middle class families out there since Medicare?  Absolutely.  Is this a vast improvement over the status quo?  Absolutely.

Now, I still know this is a tough vote, though.  I know this is a tough vote.  I’ve talked to many of you individually.  And I have to say that if you honestly believe in your heart of hearts, in your conscience, that this is not an improvement over the status quo; if despite all the information that’s out there that says that without serious reform efforts like this one people’s premiums are going to double over the next five or 10 years, that folks are going to keep on getting letters from their insurance companies saying that their premium just went up 40 or 50 percent; if you think that somehow it’s okay that we have millions of hardworking Americans who can’t get health care and that it’s all right, it’s acceptable, in the wealthiest nation on Earth that there are children with chronic illnesses that can’t get the care that they need -- if you think that the system is working for ordinary Americans rather than the insurance companies, then you should vote no on this bill.  If you can honestly say that, then you shouldn’t support it.  You’re here to represent your constituencies and if you think your constituencies honestly wouldn’t be helped, you shouldn’t vote for this.

But if you agree that the system is not working for ordinary families, if you’ve heard the same stories that I’ve heard everywhere, all across the country, then help us fix this system.  Don't do it for me.  Don’t do it for Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid.  Do it for all those people out there who are struggling. 

Some of you know I get 10 letters a day that I read out of the 40,000 that we receive.  Started reading some of the ones that I got this morning.  “Dear President Obama, my daughter, a wonderful person, lost her job.  She has no health insurance.  She had a blood clot in her brain.  She’s now disabled, can’t get care.”  “Dear President Obama, I don’t yet qualify for Medicare.  COBRA is about to run out.  I am desperate, don't know what to do.”

Do it for them.  Do it for people who are really scared right now through no fault of their own, who’ve played by the rules, who’ve done all the right things, and have suddenly found out that because of an accident, because of an ailment, they’re about to lose their house; or they can’t provide the help to their kids that they need; or they’re a small business who up until now has always taken pride in providing care for their workers and it turns out that they just can’t afford to do it anymore and they’ve having to make a decision about do I keep providing health insurance for my workers or do I just drop their coverage or do I not hire some people because I simply can’t afford it -- it’s all being gobbled up by the insurance companies.

Don’t do it for me.  Don’t do it for the Democratic Party.  Do it for the American people.  They’re the ones who are looking for action right now.  (Applause.)

I know this is a tough vote.  And I am actually confident -- I’ve talked to some of you individually -- that it will end up being the smart thing to do politically because I believe that good policy is good politics.  (Applause.)  I am convinced that when you go out there and you are standing tall and you are saying I believe that this is the right thing to do for my constituents and the right thing to do for America, that ultimately the truth will out.

I had a wonderful conversation with Betsy Markey.  I don't know if Betsy is around here.  There she is right there.  (Applause.)  Betsy is in a tough district.  The biggest newspaper is somewhat conservative, as Betsy described.  They weren’t real happy with health care reform.  They were opposed to it.  Betsy, despite the pressure, announced that she was in favor of this bill.  And lo and behold, the next day that same newspaper runs an editorial saying, you know what, we’ve considered this, we’ve looked at the legislation, and we actually are pleased that Congresswoman Markey is supporting the legislation.  (Applause.) 

When I see John Boccieri stand up proud with a whole bunch of his constituencies -- (applause) -- in as tough a district as there is and stand up with a bunch of folks from his district with preexisting conditions and saying, you know, I don’t know what is going on Washington but I know what’s going on with these families -- I look at him with pride.

Now, I can’t guarantee that this is good politics.  Every one of you know your districts better than I do.  You talk to folks.  You’re under enormous pressure.  You’re getting robocalls.  You’re getting e-mails that are tying up the communications system.  I know the pressure you’re under.  I get a few comments made about me.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed.  (Laughter.)  I’ve been in your shoes.  I know what it’s like to take a tough vote.

But what did Lincoln say?  “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.”  Two generations ago, folks who were sitting in your position, they made a decision -- we are going to make sure that seniors and the poor have health care coverage that they can count on.  And they did the right thing. 

And I’m sure at the time they were making that vote, they weren’t sure how the politics were either, any more than the people who made the decision to make sure that Social Security was in place knew how the politics would play out, or folks who passed the civil rights acts knew how the politics were going to play out.  They were not bound to win, but they were bound to be true.

And now we’ve got middle class Americans, don’t have Medicare, don’t have Medicaid, watching the employer-based system fray along the edges or being caught in terrible situations.  And the question is, are we going to be true to them? 

Sometimes I think about how I got involved in politics.  I didn’t think of myself as a potential politician when I get out of college.  I went to work in neighborhoods, working with Catholic churches in poor neighborhoods in Chicago, trying to figure out how people could get a little bit of help.  And I was skeptical about politics and politicians, just like a lot of Americans are skeptical about politics and politicians are right now.  Because my working assumption was when push comes to shove, all too often folks in elected office, they’re looking for themselves and not looking out for the folks who put them there; that there are too many compromises; that the special interests have too much power; they just got too much clout; there’s too much big money washing around.

And I decided finally to get involved because I realized if I wasn’t willing to step up and be true to the things I believe in, then the system wouldn’t change.  Every single one of you had that same kind of moment at the beginning of your careers.  Maybe it was just listening to stories in your neighborhood about what was happening to people who’d been laid off of work.  Maybe it was your own family experience, somebody got sick and didn’t have health care and you said something should change. 

Something inspired you to get involved, and something inspired you to be a Democrat instead of running as a Republican.  Because somewhere deep in your heart you said to yourself, I believe in an America in which we don’t just look out for ourselves, that we don’t just tell people you’re on your own, that we are proud of our individualism, we are proud of our liberty, but we also have a sense of neighborliness and a sense of community -- (applause) -- and we are willing to look out for one another and help people who are vulnerable and help people who are down on their luck and give them a pathway to success and give them a ladder into the middle class.  That’s why you decided to run.  (Applause.)

And now a lot of us have been here a while and everybody here has taken their lumps and their bruises.  And it turns out people have had to make compromises, and you’ve been away from families for a long time and you’ve missed special events for your kids sometimes.  And maybe there have been times where you asked yourself, why did I ever get involved in politics in the first place?  And maybe things can’t change after all.  And when you do something courageous, it turns out sometimes you may be attacked.  And sometimes the very people you thought you were trying to help may be angry at you and shout at you.  And you say to yourself, maybe that thing that I started with has been lost. 

But you know what?  Every once in a while, every once in a while a moment comes where you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes that you had about yourself, about this country, where you have a chance to make good on those promises that you made in all those town meetings and all those constituency breakfasts and all that traveling through the district, all those people who you looked in the eye and you said, you know what, you’re right, the system is not working for you and I’m going to make it a little bit better. 

And this is one of those moments.  This is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself, doggone it, this is exactly why I came here.  This is why I got into politics.  This is why I got into public service.  This is why I’ve made those sacrifices.  Because I believe so deeply in this country and I believe so deeply in this democracy and I’m willing to stand up even when it’s hard, even when it’s tough.

Every single one of you have made that promise not just to your constituents but to yourself.  And this is the time to make true on that promise.  We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true.  We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.  We have been debating health care for decades.  It has now been debated for a year.  It is in your hands.  It is time to pass health care reform for America, and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow. 

Thank you very much, House of Representatives.  Let’s get this done.  (Applause.)

END          
4:24 P.M. EDT

Remarks of President Obama Marking Nowruz

download Persian translation | download Arabic translation

Today, I want to extend my best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz in the United States and around the world. On this New Year’s celebration, friends and family have a unique opportunity to reflect on the year gone by; to celebrate their time together; and to share in their hopes for the future.

One year ago, I chose this occasion to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to offer a new chapter of engagement on the basis of mutual interests and mutual respect. I did so with no illusions. For three decades, the United States and Iran have been alienated from one another. Iran’s leaders have sought their own legitimacy through hostility to America. And we continue to have serious differences on many issues.

I said, last year, that the choice for a better future was in the hands of Iran’s leaders. That remains true today. Together with the international community, the United States acknowledges your right to peaceful nuclear energy – we insist only that you adhere to the same responsibilities that apply to other nations. We are familiar with your grievances from the past – we have our own grievances as well, but we are prepared to move forward. We know what you’re against; now tell us what you’re for.

For reasons known only to them, the leaders of Iran have shown themselves unable to answer that question. You have refused good faith proposals from the international community. They have turned their backs on a pathway that would bring more opportunity to all Iranians, and allow a great civilization to take its rightful place in the community of nations. Faced with an extended hand, Iran’s leaders have shown only a clenched fist.

Last June, the world watched with admiration, as Iranians sought to exercise their universal right to be heard. But tragically, the aspirations of the Iranian people were also met with a clenched fist, as people marching silently were beaten with batons; political prisoners were rounded up and abused; absurd and false accusations were leveled against the United States and the West; and people everywhere were horrified by the video of a young woman killed in the street.

The United States does not meddle in Iran’s internal affairs. Our commitment – our responsibility – is to stand up for those rights that should be universal to all human beings. That includes the right to speak freely, to assemble without fear; the right to the equal administration of justice, and to express your views without facing retribution against you or your families.

I want the Iranian people to know what my country stands for. The United States believes in the dignity of every human being, and an international order that bends the arc of history in the direction of justice – a future where Iranians can exercise their rights, to participate fully in the global economy, and enrich the world through educational and cultural exchanges beyond Iran’s borders. That is the future that we seek. That is what America is for.

That is why, even as we continue to have differences with the Iranian government, we will sustain our commitment to a more hopeful future for the Iranian people.  For instance, by increasing opportunities for educational exchanges so that Iranian students can come to our colleges and universities and to our efforts to ensure that Iranians can have access to the software and Internet technology that will enable them to communicate with each other, and with the world without fear of censorship.

Finally, let me be clear: we are working with the international community to hold the Iranian government accountable because they refuse to live up to their international obligations. But our offer of comprehensive diplomatic contacts and dialogue stands. Indeed, over the course of the last year, it is the Iranian government that has chosen to isolate itself, and to choose a self-defeating focus on the past over a commitment to build a better future.

Last year, I quoted the words of the poet Saadi, who said: "The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created of one essence.” I still believe that – I believe it with every fiber of my being. And even as we have differences, the Iranian government continues to have the choice to pursue a better future, and to meet its international responsibilities, while respecting the dignity and fundamental human rights of its own people.

Thank you. And Aid-e-Shoma Mobarak.

Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform in Fairfax, Virginia

11:27 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, George Mason!  (Applause.)  How’s everybody doing today?  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you. 

AUDIENCE:  Yes we can!  Yes we can!  Yes we can!  Yes we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  It’s good to be back with some real Patriots.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Dr. Alan Merten, the President of George Mason University, and his family.  (Applause.)  Dr. Shirley Travis, who’s here -- thank you.  And Coach Larranaga, we were just talking a little bit about -- (applause) -- looking forward to picking George Mason in my bracket next year.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you!  (Applause.)  I don’t know if some of you remember, but I visited this university about three years ago for the first time.  (Applause.)  This was at just the dawn of my presidential campaign.  It was about three weeks old, I think.  We didn’t have a lot of money.  We didn’t have a lot of staff.  Nobody could pronounce my name.  (Laughter.)  Our poll numbers were quite low.  And a lot of people -- a lot of people in Washington, they didn’t think it was even worth us trying.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes we can!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  They had counted us out before we had even started, because the Washington conventional wisdom was that change was too hard.  But what we had even then was a group of students here at George Mason -- (applause) -- who believed that if we worked hard enough and if we fought long enough, if we organized enough supporters, then we could finally bring change to that city across the river.  (Applause.)  We believed that despite all the resistance, we could make Washington work.  Not for the lobbyists, not for the special interests, not for the politicians, but for the American people.  (Applause.)

And now three years later, I stand before you, one year after the worst recession since the Great Depression, having to make a bunch of tough decisions, having had a tumultuous debate, having had a lot of folks who were skeptical that we could get anything done.  And right now, we are at the point where we are going to do something historic this weekend.  That’s what this health care vote is all about.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Yes we can!  Yes we can!  Yes we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  A few miles from here, Congress is in the final stages of a fateful debate about the future of health insurance in America.  (Applause.)  It’s a debate that’s raged not just for the past year but for the past century.  One thing when you’re in the White House, you’ve got a lot of history books around you.  (Laughter.)  And so I’ve been reading up on the history here.  Teddy Roosevelt, Republican, was the first to advocate that everybody get health care in this country.  (Applause.)  Every decade since, we’ve had Presidents, Republicans and Democrats, from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon to JFK to Lyndon Johnson to -- every single President has said we need to fix this system.  It’s a debate that’s not only about the cost of health care, not just about what we’re doing about folks who aren’t getting a fair shake from their insurance companies.  It’s a debate about the character of our country -– (applause) -- about whether we can still meet the challenges of our time; whether we still have the guts and the courage to give every citizen, not just some, the chance to reach their dreams.  (Applause.)

At the heart of this debate is the question of whether we’re going to accept a system that works better for the insurance companies than it does for the American people -- (applause) -- because if this vote fails, the insurance industry will continue to run amok.  They will continue to deny people coverage.  They will continue to deny people care.  They will continue to jack up premiums 40 or 50 or 60 percent as they have in the last few weeks without any accountability whatsoever.  They know this.  And that’s why their lobbyists are stalking the halls of Congress as we speak, and pouring millions of dollars into negative ads.  And that’s why they are doing everything they can to kill this bill. 

So the only question left is this:  Are we going to let the special interests win once again?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Or are we going to make this vote a victory for the American people?  (Applause.)  

AUDIENCE:  Yes we can!  Yes we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  George Mason, the time for reform is right now.  (Applause.)  Not a year from now, not five years from now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now -- it’s now.  (Applause.)  We have had -- we have had a year of hard debate.  Every proposal has been put on the table.  Every argument has been made.  We have incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and from Republicans into a final proposal that builds on the system of private insurance that we currently have.  The insurance industry and its supporters in Congress have tried to portray this as radical change.  (Applause.) 

Now, I just -- I just want to be clear, everybody.  Listen up, because we have heard every crazy thing about this bill.  You remember.  First we heard this was a government takeover of health care.  Then we heard that this was going to kill granny.  Then we heard, well, illegal immigrants are going to be getting the main benefits of this bill.  There has been -- they have thrown every argument at this legislative effort.  But when it -- it turns out, at the end of the day, what we’re talking about is common-sense reform.  That’s all we’re talking about.  (Applause.)    

If you like your doctor, you’re going to be able to keep your doctor.  If you like your plan, keep your plan.  I don’t believe we should give government or the insurance companies more control over health care in America.  I think it’s time to give you, the American people, more control over your health.  (Applause.)  

And since you’ve been hearing a whole bunch of nonsense, let’s just be clear on what exactly the proposal that they’re going to vote on in a couple of days will do.  It’s going to -- it’s going to change health care in three ways.  Number one, we are going to end the worst practices of insurance companies.  (Applause.)  This is -- this is a patient’s bill of rights on steroids.  (Laughter.)  Starting this year, thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions will be able to purchase health insurance, some for the very first time.  (Applause.)  Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions.  (Applause.)  Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned from dropping your coverage when you get sick.  (Applause.)  And they’ve been spending a lot of time weeding out people who are sick so they don’t have to pay benefits that people have already paid for.  Those practices will end.

If this reform becomes law, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers.  (Applause.)  If you buy a new plan, there won’t be lifetime or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care you receive from your insurance companies.  (Applause.)  And by the way, to all the young people here today, starting this year if you don’t have insurance, all new plans will allow you to stay on your parents’ plan until you are 26 years old.  (Applause.)

So you’ll have some security when you graduate.  If that first job doesn’t offer coverage, you’re going to know that you’ve got coverage.  Because as you start your lives and your careers, the last thing you should be worried about is whether you’re going to go broke or make your parents broke just because you get sick.  (Applause.)  All right?

So that’s the first thing this legislation does -- the toughest insurance reforms in history.  And by the way, when you talk to Republicans and you say, well, are you against this?  A lot of them will say, no, no, that part’s okay.  (Laughter.)  All right, so let’s go to the second part.

The second thing that would change about the current system is that for the first time, small business owners and people who are being priced out of the insurance market will have the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress give to themselves.  (Applause.) 

So what this means is, is that small business owners and middle-class families, they’re going to be able to be part of what’s called a big pool of customers that can negotiate with the insurance companies.  And that means they can purchase more affordable coverage in a competitive marketplace.  (Applause.)  So they’re not out there on their own just shopping.  They’re part of millions of people who are shopping together.  And if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, even though it’s going to be cheaper than what you can get on your own, then we’re going to offer you tax credits to help you afford it -– tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in American history.  (Applause.)  

Now, these tax credits cost money.  Helping folks who can’t afford it right now, that does cost some money.  It costs about $100 billion per year.  But most of the cost --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  That’s all right.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, here’s the reason it’s all right.  (Laughter.)  Here’s the reason it’s all right.  It wouldn’t be all right if we weren’t paying for it -- and by the way, that's what a previous Congress did with the prescription drug plan.  All they did was they gave the benefits and they didn’t pay for it. 

That's not what we’re doing.  What we’re doing is we’re taking money that America is already spending in the health care system, but is being spent poorly, that's going to waste and fraud and unwarranted subsidies for the insurance companies, and we’re taking that money and making sure those dollars go towards making insurance more affordable.  (Applause.)

So we’re going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies.  (Applause.)  We’re going to set a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain millions of new customers.  (Applause.)  So here’s the point:  This proposal is paid for.  Unlike some of these previous schemes in Washington, we’re not taking out the credit card in your name, young people, and charging it to you.  We’re making sure this thing is paid for.  (Applause.)  All right, so that's the second thing.

Now, the third thing that this legislation does is it brings down the cost of health care for families and businesses and the federal government.  (Applause.)  Americans who are buying comparable coverage in the individual market would end up seeing their premiums go down 14 to 20 percent.  (Applause.)  Americans who get their insurance through the workplace, cost savings could be as much as $3,000 less per employer than if we do nothing.  Now, think about that.  That’s $3,000 your employer doesn’t have to pay, which means maybe she can afford to give you a raise.  (Applause.) 

And by the way, if you’re curious, well, how exactly are we saving these costs?  Well, part of it is, again, we’re not spending our health care money wisely.  So, for example, you go to the hospital or you go to a doctor and you may take five tests, when it turns out if you just took one test, then you send an e-mail around with the test results, you wouldn’t be paying $500 per test.  So we’re trying to save money across the system.  (Applause.)  And altogether, our cost-cutting measures would reduce most people’s premiums.  And here’s the bonus:  It brings down our deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next two decades.  (Applause.) 

So you’ve got -- you’ve got a whole bunch of opponents of this bill saying, well, we can’t afford this; we’re fiscal conservatives.  These are the same guys who passed that prescription drug bill without paying for it, adding over $1 trillion to our deficit -- “Oh, we can’t afford this.”  But this bill, according to the Congressional Budget Office -- which is the referee, the scorekeeper for how much things cost -- says we’ll save us $1 trillion.  Not only can we afford to do this, we can’t afford not to do this.  (Applause.)

So here’s the bottom line.  That’s our proposal:  toughest insurance reforms in history, one of the biggest deficit-reduction plans in history, and the opportunity to give millions of people -- some of them in your own family, some of the people who are in this auditorium today -- an opportunity for the first time in a very long time to get affordable health care.  That’s it.  That’s what we’re trying to do.  (Applause.)  That’s what the Congress of the United States is about to vote on this weekend. 

Now, it would be nice if we were just kind of examining the substance, we were walking through the details of the plan, what it means for you.  But that’s not what the cable stations like to talk about.  (Laughter.)  What they like to talk about is the politics of the vote.  What does this mean in November?  What does it mean to the poll numbers?  Is this more of an advantage for Democrats or Republicans?  What’s it going to mean for Obama?  Will his presidency be crippled, or will he be the comeback kid?  (Applause.)  That’s what they like to talk about.  That’s what they like to talk about.  I understand.

One of the things you realize is basically that a lot of reporting in Washington, it’s just like SportsCenter.  It’s considered a sport, and who’s up and who’s down, and everybody’s keeping score.  And you got the teams going at it.  It’s Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.  (Laughter.) 

Look, let me say this, George Mason:  I don’t know how this plays politically.  Nobody really does.  I mean, there’s been so much misinformation and so much confusion and the climate at times during the course of this year has been so toxic and people are so anxious because the economy has been going through such a tough time.  I don’t know what’s going to happen with the politics on this thing.  I don’t know whether my poll numbers go down, they go up.  I don’t know what happens in terms of Democrats versus Republicans. 

But here’s what I do know.  I do know that this bill, this legislation, is going to be enormously important for America’s future.  (Applause.)  I do know the impact it will have on the millions of Americans who need our help, and the millions more who may not need help right now but a year from now or five years from now or 10 years from now, if they have some bad luck; if, heaven forbid, they get sick; if they’ve got a preexisting condition; if their child has a preexisting condition; if they lose their job; if they want to start a company -- I know the impact it will have on them.  (Applause.)

I know what this reform will mean for people like Leslie Banks, a single mom I met in Pennsylvania.  She’s trying to put her daughter through college, just like probably some of your moms and dads are trying to put you through college.  And her insurance company just sent her a letter saying they plan to double her premium this year -– have it go up 100 percent.  And she can’t afford it.  So now she’s trying to figure out, am I going to keep my insurance or am I going to keep my daughter in college?  Leslie Banks needs us to pass this reform bill.  (Applause.)

I know what reform will mean for people like Laura Klitzka.  I met Laura up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, while I was campaigning.  She thought she had beaten her breast cancer.  Then she discovered it had spread to her bones.  And she and her insurance -- she and her husband, they were lucky enough to have insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt.  So now she’s spending time worrying about the debt when all she wants to do is think about how she can spend time with her two kids.  Laura needs us to pass this reform bill.  (Applause.)  

I know what reform will mean for people like Natoma Canfield.  When her insurance company raised her rates, she had to give up her coverage, even though she had been paying thousands of dollars in premiums for years, because she had beaten cancer 11 years earlier.  They kept on jacking up her rates, jacking up her rates.  Finally she thought she was going to lose her home.  She was scared that a sudden illness would lead to financial ruin, but she had no choice.  Right now she’s lying in a hospital bed, faced with paying for such an illness, after she had to give up her health insurance.  She’s praying that somehow she can afford to get well.  She knows that it is time for reform.   

So George Mason, when you hear people saying, well, why don't we do this more incrementally, why don't we do this a little more piecemeal, why don't we just help the folks that are easiest to help -- my answer is the time for reform is now.  We have waited long enough.  (Applause.)  We have waited long enough. 

And in just a few days, a century-long struggle will culminate in a historic vote.  (Applause.)  We’ve had historic votes before.  We had a historic vote to put Social Security in place to make sure that our elderly did not live out their golden years in poverty.  We had a historic vote in civil rights to make sure that everybody was equal under the law.  (Applause.)  As messy as this process is, as frustrating as this process is, as ugly as this process can be, when we have faced such decisions in our past, this nation, time and time again, has chosen to extend its promise to more of its people.  (Applause.)

You know, the naysayers said that Social Security would lead to socialism.  (Laughter.)  But the men and women of Congress stood fast and created that program that lifted millions out of poverty.  (Applause.) 

There were cynics that warned that Medicare would lead to a government takeover of our entire health care system, and that it didn’t have much support in the polls.  But Democrats and Republicans refused to back down, and they made sure that our seniors had the health care that they needed and could have some basic peace of mind.  (Applause.)

So previous generations, those who came before us, made the decision that our seniors and our poor, through Medicaid, should not be forced to go without health care just because they couldn’t afford it.  Today it falls to this generation to decide whether we will make that same promise to hardworking middle-class families and small businesses all across America, and to young Americans like yourselves who are just starting out.  (Applause.)

So here’s my bottom line.  I know this has been a difficult journey.  I know this will be a tough vote.  I know that everybody is counting votes right now in Washington.  But I also remember a quote I saw on a plaque in the White House the other day.  It’s hanging in the same room where I demanded answers from insurance executives and just received a bunch of excuses.  And it was a quote from Teddy Roosevelt, the person who first called for health care reform -- that Republican -- all those years ago.  And it said, “Aggressively fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.”

Now, I don’t know how passing health care will play politically -- but I know it’s right.  (Applause.)  Teddy Roosevelt knew it was right.  Harry Truman knew that it was right.  Ted Kennedy knew it was right.  (Applause.)  And if you believe that it’s right, then you've got to help us finish this fight.  You've got to stand with me just like you did three years ago and make some phone calls and knock on some doors, talk to your parents, talk to your friends.  Do not quit, do not give up, we keep on going.  (Applause.)  We are going to get this done.  We are going to make history.  We are going to fix health care in America with your help.  (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
11:56 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President before Signing the HIRE Act

11:20 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Please have a seat.

Well, on this beautiful morning, we are here to mark the passage of a welcome piece of legislation for our fellow Americans who are seeking work in this difficult economy.  But first, let me say a few words about the latest development in the debate over health insurance reform.  I don’t know if you guys have been hearing, but there’s been a big debate going on here. 

This morning, a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office concludes that the reform we seek would bring $1.3 trillion in deficit reduction over the next two decades.  (Applause.)  That makes this legislation the most significant effort to reduce deficits since the Balanced Budget Act in the 1990s.  (Applause.)  And this is -- this is but one virtue of a reform that will bring new accountability to the insurance industry and greater economic security to all Americans.  So I urge every member of Congress to consider this as they prepare for their important vote this weekend. 

And I want to welcome all the members of Congress who are here, those who are on stage -- Madam Speaker, Majority Leader Reid -- as well as some of my Cabinet members who are here.

In a few moments, I’ll sign what’s called the HIRE Act -- a jobs bill that will encourage businesses to hire and help put Americans back to work.  And I’d like to say a few words about what this jobs bill will mean for workers, for businesses, and for America’s economic recovery.

There are a number of ways to look at an economic recovery.  Through the eyes of an economist, you look at the different stages of recovery.  You look at whether an economy has begun to grow; at whether businesses have begun to hire temporary workers or increase the hours of existing workers.  You look at whether businesses, small and large, have begun to hire full-time employees again.

That’s how economists measure a recovery -- and by those measures, we are beginning to move in the right direction.  But through the eyes of most Americans, recovery is about something more fundamental:  Do I have a decent job?  Can I provide for my family?  Do I feel a sense of financial security?

The great recession that we’ve just gone through took a terrible toll on the middle class and on our economy as a whole.  For every one of the over 8 million people who lost their jobs in recent years, there’s a story of struggle -- of a family that’s forced to choose between paying their electricity bill or the car insurance or the daughter’s college tuition; of weddings and vacations and retirements that have been postponed.

So here’s the good news:  A consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary -- and often unpopular -- measures we took over the past year, our economy is now growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them.  The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate that process.

I’m signing it mindful that, as I’ve said before, the solution to our economic problems will not come from government alone.  Government can’t create all the jobs we need or can it repair all the damage that’s been done by this recession.

But what we can do is promote a strong, dynamic private sector -- the true engine of job creation in our economy.  We can help to provide an impetus for America’s businesses to start hiring again.  We can nurture the conditions that allow companies to succeed and to grow.

And that’s exactly what this jobs bill will help us do.  Now, make no mistake:  While this jobs bill is absolutely necessary, it’s by no means enough.  There’s a lot more that we’re going to need to do to spur hiring in the private sector and bring about full economic recovery -- from helping creditworthy small businesses to get loans that they need to expand, to offering incentives to make homes and businesses more energy efficient, to investing in infrastructure so we can put Americans to work doing the work that America needs done.

Nevertheless, this jobs bill will make a difference in several important ways.  First, we will forgive payroll taxes for businesses that hire someone who’s been out of work at least two months.  That’s a tax benefit that will apply to unemployed workers hired between last month and the end of this year.  So this tax cut says to employers:  If you hire a worker who’s unemployed, you won’t have to pay payroll taxes on that worker for the rest of the year.  And businesses that move quickly to hire today will get a bigger tax credit than businesses that wait until later this year.

This tax cut will be particularly helpful to small business owners.  Many of them are on the fence right now about whether to bring in that extra worker or two, or whether they should hire anyone at all.  And this jobs bill should help make their decision that much easier.  And by the way, I’d like to note that part of what health insurance reform would do is to provide tax credits for over 4 million small businesses so they don’t have to choose between hiring workers and offering coverage.

The second thing this bill does is to encourage small businesses to grow and to hire by permitting them to write off investments they make in equipment this year.  These kinds of expenses typically take years to depreciate, but under this law, businesses will be able to invest up to $250,000, let’s say, in a piece of factory equipment, and write it off right away.  Put simply, we’ll give businesses an incentive to invest in their own future -- and to do it today.

Third, we’ll reform municipal bonds to encourage job creation by expanding investment in schools and clean energy projects.  Say a town wants to put people to work rebuilding a crumbling elementary school or putting up wind turbines.  With this law, we’ll make it easier for them to raise the money they need to do what they want to do by using a model that we've called Build America Bonds -- one of the most successful programs in the Recovery Act.  We’ll give Americans a better chance to invest in the future of their communities and of the country. 

And finally, this jobs bill will maintain crucial investments in our roads and our bridges as we head into the spring and summer months, when construction jobs are picking up.

I want to commend all the members of Congress, and their leadership is what made this bill possible.  Many of them are here today.  I’m also gratified that over a dozen Republicans agreed that the need for this jobs bill was urgent, and that they were willing to break out of the partisan morass to help us take this forward step for the American people.  I hope this is a prelude to further cooperation in the days and months to come, as we continue to work on digging our way out of the recession and rebuilding our economy in a way that works for all Americans and not just some Americans.

After all, the jobs bill I’m signing today -- and our broader efforts to achieve a recovery -- aren’t about politics.  They’re not about Democrat versus Republican.  This isn’t a game that we’re playing here.  They’re about the people in this country who are out of work and looking for a job; they’re about all the Americans -- of every race and region and age -- who’ve shared their stories with me over the last year.

The single mother who’s told me she’s filled out hundreds of job applications and been on dozens of interviews, but still hasn’t found a job.  The father whose son told me he started working when he was a teenager, and recently found himself out of a job for the very first time in his life.  The children who write to me -- they’re worried about their moms and their dads, worried about what the future holds for their families.

That’s who I’m thinking about every morning when I enter into the Oval Office.  That’s who I’m signing this bill for.  And that’s who I’m going to continue to fight for so long as I am President of the United States.

So with that, let me sign this bill and let’s get to work.  (Applause.)

(The bill is signed.)

END
11:27 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President, the Vice President and the Taoiseach of Ireland at St. Patrick’s Day Reception

7:47 P.M. EDT

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good evening, everyone.  Mr. President, Mrs. Obama, the Taoiseach, Mrs. Cowen.  Welcome to the White House and welcome, all of you, to the White House.

You know, as I said to some of my friends at the Vice President’s residence this morning at a breakfast, there’s an old saying -- there’s an old saying that goes like this:  If you're lucky enough to be Irish, well, you’re lucky enough.  (Laughter and applause.)

I was telling the Taoiseach earlier today, one of my favorite cartoons to explain to the Irish-Irish what we American-Irish are like was one handed to me, Mr. President, by Pat Moynihan about 15, 18 years ago.  It was The New Yorker Magazine and it was a picture of Pat and Mike sitting in a pub in New York.  And Pat looks at Mike and says, “Mike, don't you wish you were in a pub in Dublin wishing you were in a pub in New York?”  (Laughter.)  You understand that about us, you got it all straight, Taoiseach.

But the Taoiseach knows a lot about it.  His mom lived in Long Island for 10 years or so -- God rest her soul and -- although, wait, your mom is still alive, it’s your dad passed.  God bless her soul.  (Laughter.)  I got to get this straight.

You know, there are nearly 40 million of us who claim to be Irish-American.  That's considerably larger than the entire population of the Emerald Isle.  But 40 million, many of you in this room, have made incredible, incredible contributions to our country.  Perhaps the greatest contribution collectively we Irish have made is that we have the same set of values both in Ireland and here:  family, faith, pride and courage.

And these are the values, in my view -- and I mean this sincerely -- that define the man I work with every day, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

The President is always kidding me because I'm always quoting Irish poets.  He thinks I quote them because I'm Irish.  I don't do it for that reason -- I do it because they’re simply the best poets.  And the best of them in my view is Yeats.  Yeats once said, “In dreams begin responsibility.”  Well, ladies and gentlemen, the dreams that President Obama has awakened and have awakened in the American people are generating a new sense of responsibility that I think is going to serve this nation well.  It’s going to be a more peaceful world, a more prosperous nation, and, at the same time, an awful lot of people who haven’t had hope are going to get it.

There’s an old Irish proverb, as some of you know, that I heard my grandfather use but never really applied to me before.  He said, it goes, “A silent mouth is sweet to hear.”  (Laughter.)  Well, I'm going to yield to that proverb -- (laughter) -- and introduce you to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good evening, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Good evening.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:   Welcome to St. Patrick’s Day at the White House, on a day when springtime is in the air –- and this is -- even though the Taoiseach hasn’t even shared his shamrocks yet, but we can feel spring coming.

Before I say anything else let me just say that I could not have a better partner in a difficult job than the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden; he does a great job each and every day.  (Applause.)  And I couldn't have a better partner in life than the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)

Welcome back, Mr. Prime Minister, First Lady.  We are thrilled to have you.

The Irish and Irish-Americans are out in force tonight.  I believe, if I'm not mistaken that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is here.  (Applause.)  A couple of my Cabinet Secretaries are here, as well –- Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.  (Applause.)  I would love to acknowledge all the members of Congress who are here tonight, but there are a few dozen of you, including three or four Murphys.  (Laughter.)  There’s one right there.  (Laughter.)  You're everywhere.

Governor Martin O’Malley -- (applause) -- who’s been known to be the lead in an Irish rock band.  Governor Bob McDonnell is here, of the great Commonwealth of Virginia.  And Mayor Tom Menino shipped down from Boston.  (Applause.)  My dear friend, the United States Ambassador to Ireland and the person who is singly responsible for converting the entire country to become Steelers’ fans, Dan Rooney.  (Applause.)  And his counterpart, the Irish Ambassador to the United States, Michael Collins.  (Applause.)  So welcome, everybody.

This has been a wonderful day filled with good reminders of just how deeply woven the ties between our two countries are.  We welcomed back a friend, the Taoiseach.  He and I remarked once again of our shared ties to County Offaly.  (Applause.)  He was born there, and when I was running for President, it was brought to my attention that -- I want to make sure I get this straight -- it was my great-great-great-great grandfather on my mother’s side who hailed from Moneygall.  I wish I knew about this when I was running in Chicago.  (Laughter.)

I also had the pleasure of welcoming back First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Northern Ireland -- (applause) -- two men who have stood together with conviction to chart a historic path towards peace.  They are here tonight.  We were thinking about sending them up to Congress tomorrow -- (laughter) -- to see if they can share some of their secrets.  (Laughter.)

I also just met with Andrew Sens and Brigadier General -- I want to make sure I get this right -- Tauno Niemenen, who, because of their successful leadership, are winding down the work of the Independent Commission on Decommissioning after 12 years.  (Applause.)  And Matt Baggott, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, whose fairness and impartiality is keeping the peace across all of Northern Ireland’s communities.  So thank you.  (Applause.)

Twelve years ago, America was inspired by the brave men and women who found the courage to see past the scars of a troubled past so that their children would know a better future.  And we are watching you and continue to be inspired by your extraordinary work.

It’s wonderful to have everybody here at the White House here tonight.  During his last visit, the Taoiseach mentioned that the Irish Diaspora is some 70 million strong -- which is obviously impressive for a small island.  And it’s even more impressive that they all find their way to America for St. Patrick’s Day.  (Laughter.)  I can make that joke as somebody of Irish heritage.  (Laughter.)

I should mention by the way that -- we were discussing this with my mayor from Chicago, Mayor Daley, and I told him that I had this Irish heritage.  And he said that he had actually Kenyan blood in him also.  (Laughter.)

It just goes to show that in recent decades it has become cool to be Irish.  (Laughter.)  It’s the phenomenon the Irish poet, and Joe Biden’s favorite poet, Seamus Heaney, once described in stunned fashion as “the manifestation of sheer, bloody genius -– Ireland is chic.”  (Laughter.)

And obviously we know, though, that that wasn’t always the case.  After centuries of oppression, the Irish began coming to America -– even before America had been won.  Many came with no family, no friends, no money -– nothing to sustain their voyage but faith.  Faith in the Almighty.  Faith in a better life over the horizon.  And faith that in America, you can make it if you try.

And in the wake of a Great Hunger, that migration intensified.  And the Irish carved out a place for themselves in our nation’s story -– America and Ireland, our brawn and our blood, side by side in the making and remaking of this nation; pulling it westward, pushing it skyward, moving it forward -– even if it was a nation that was not always as welcoming as it could be.

But with hard work and toughness and loyalty and faith, the Irish persevered.  And in the process they secured the future for generations of Irish-Americans free to live their lives as they will -– and today, free to argue openly and proudly about who is more Irish than whom.  (Laughter.)

So it can be easy to forget that there was a time when “No Irish Need Apply.”  Particularly when it was half a century ago this year that John F. Kennedy walked through the doors of this house as the first Irish Catholic President of the United States.  (Applause.)

One person who never forgot this history -– someone who frequently recalled his grandfather’s vivid stories of those days; who through his office window could see the Boston Harbor steps where his eight Irish grandparents first set foot in America –- was the President’s youngest brother and our dear friend, Ted Kennedy.  (Applause.)

He knew, as we do, that our nation is infinitely richer for not only the contributions of the Irish throughout history -– but the contributions of people from around the world.  That’s why I’m pleased that there’s bipartisan progress being made in an area that I know was close to his big heart -– and that's fixing our broken immigration system.  (Applause.)  And that’s why my own commitment to comprehensive immigration reform remains unwavering.

In this and every other battle for progress, Ted was a tireless warrior.  And I know that we could use him this week.  I am so glad that we’re joined tonight by his wife Vicki; his daughter, Kara; his son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy; and his sister-in-law, Ethel Kennedy, as well as a whole bunch of nieces and nephews.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Both of our nations are down one friend, a champion, and peacemaker.  But it wouldn’t be Irish mourning without some undercurrent of joy.  So while Teddy’s laughter may not shake the walls of this house tonight, as it did so many times over the past half-century, ours will not be diminished.  While his singing may not fill these rooms, I suspect that won’t stop some of you from trying.  (Laughter.)  You don't have to try, though -- that's why we brought in the entertainment.  (Laughter.)

This is rightly a day for celebration and good cheer between America and one of her oldest friends -– and it’s a partnership that extends to our earliest days as a Republic.  So before I turn it over to the Taoiseach, let me leave you with all the words from those early days that speak to why this has been such an incredible relationship between our two countries.  These are words spoken by the father of our country, George Washington:

“When our friendless standards were first unfurled, who were the strangers who first mustered around our staff?  And when it reeled in the light, who more brilliantly sustained it than Erin’s generous sons?  Ireland, thou friend of my country in my country’s most friendless days, much injured, much enduring land, accept this poor tribute from one who esteems thy worth, and mourns thy desolation.  May the God of Heaven, in His justice and mercy, grant thee more prosperous fortunes, and in His own time, cause the sun of Freedom to shed its benign radiance on the Emerald Isle.”

To all of you from near and far, and over all the years and tests ahead, may America and Ireland forever brilliantly sustain one another’s sons and daughters.

And with that, to our guest, the Taoiseach of Ireland, on behalf of the American people we want to thank you for your presence here.  We are proud to call you a friend this day and every day.  And we are looking forward to planting this little piece of Ireland in the garden here in the White House.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody.  (Applause.)

The Taoiseach, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen.  (Applause.)

TAOISEACH COWEN:  Thank you very much, President Obama.  I made one solemn promise to myself when I've come to the White House for the second time:  I intend reading my own speech tonight.  (Laughter.)

Mr. President, First Lady Mrs. Obama, Mr. Vice President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.  I want to thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Obama, for your warm and gracious welcome to the White House tonight for so many of us.  Mary and I and all of our delegation are delighted to be here with you again this year.

We’ve had a great day of celebrations today at your nation’s Capitol, starting of course, with a very gracious invitation from the Vice President -- great Irishman, Joe Biden -- to a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at is house.  Himself and Jill gave us a wonderful start to a wonderful morning and we deeply appreciate that wonderful gesture.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

In fact, Mr. President, it’s almost as nice as your home here.  (Laughter.)  Joe Biden said he always voted for public housing -- he never thought he’d get into one as good.  (Laughter.)

So I extend to you all our greetings for St. Patrick’s Day from the home sod.  This occasion is an honor not only for those of us present this evening, but for all Irish people -- at home and across America.  We feel very much at home here.  And as we gather here tonight we remember that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the election of President Kennedy, in whose legacy we Irish take great pride.

On one occasion, speaking in your home city of Chicago, John F. Kennedy described Ireland’s Diaspora as a “fraternal empire.”  He said that “whether we live in Cork or Boston, Chicago or Sydney, we are all members of a great family which is linked together by that strongest of chains -- a common past.”

The bonds between Ireland and America run deep in our shared history.  St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in every state and corner of this great land.  And it is so pleasing to us that this day has come to be appreciated and enjoyed by all Americans, not just those of Irish heritage.

The great blending of our people and our history has been shown in all its glory by those who are entertaining us tonight, including the City of Washington Pipe Band, the President's Marine Band, Irish Combo, and the magnificent Celtic Dreams from New York City.  (Applause.)

Next year we will be having a special year of celebration of Irish arts and culture here in the United States, so I can assure you that we will have many more artists who will be ready and willing to return here at any time.

And I am delighted in that context that we are joined here tonight by that great Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne.  Gabriel this week accepted an appointment as Ireland’s first Cultural Ambassador and I wish him well in that wonderful endeavor.  (Applause.)

And of course, Mr. President, when the Irish are finished looking after your entertainment needs -- (laughter) -- Pádraig Harrington, who also joins us tonight can help you with your golf game.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I need help.  There he is.  I need some tips.

TAOISEACH COWEN:  Mr. President, this year on St. Patrick’s Day we are particularly mindful of the absence of our dear and loyal friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.  Ted loved to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and at times like this we miss his enthusiastic presence.  He took great pride in his Irish heritage and he cared deeply about peace on our island.  I know that he would be especially pleased to acknowledge the crucial and decisive step forward taken in recent weeks by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, and all the leaders in Northern Ireland.  We congratulate them on all that has been achieved and promise them our support.  (Applause.)

In conclusion can I say that we hope to see you, the First Lady and your family in Ireland soon, Mr. President.  (Applause.)  It is important that we get visits from prestigious people of the American constituency from time to time.  (Laughter.)  I'm sure you have heard that the great welcome accorded to your predecessors is available to you as well.  (Laughter.)

And we’ll never forget the historic visit by President Kennedy to his home place in 1963.  And I can assure you of an equally warm welcome, especially in County Offaly, where I may have some influence.  (Laughter.)

I also want to thank you very much, Mr. President, because we’re delighted and touched to know that not only will you plant shamrock in the children’s garden, but it will grow from soil from my own County of Offaly.  Not only is the soil from Offaly, but it’s also from Moneygall -- the place of your own family’s Irish heritage.  I believe, of course, that this soil will have special properties that will ensure that the garden flourishes.  At least I hope so.  (Laughter.)

And I know that when you trace your ancestry back to that place where I have lived all my life you’ll find a hearty welcome and many people waiting to see you there and to reconnect with your Irish heritage in a very real and personal way.

It’s amazing, you know, how many O’Haras, O’Sullivans and O’Neills are frantically searching to see if there’s any way they can be linked to the Obamas.  (Laughter and applause.)

I want to say to you one search -- I am very closely acquainted with the electorate registered in County Offaly -- and there are no Obamas on it.  (Laughter.)

However, Mr. President, it’s now my great honor to present you with a bowl of shamrock.  I do so in celebration of the achievements of the Irish in America and of the everlasting friendship between the people of Ireland and the people of the United States of America.  You will always have a loyal and faithful friend in me as long as I lead this government.  (Applause.)

(The bowl of shamrock is presented.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  This is wonderful.  Beautiful.  Thank you so much.  And I think in addition to all the fertilizer we put down this will bring good luck to the garden.  (Laughter.)  Thank you very much, that is lovely.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

So I want to thank everybody for being here.  I want you to have a wonderful time -- not that I need to tell you that.  If anybody wants pictures taken, Patrick Leahy is here -- (laughter) -- he always has a camera.  (Laughter.)

Have a wonderful time.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
8:12 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at Newsweek QA Event

12:39 P.M. EDT

Q    Thank you so much.  Thank you, Ms. Weymouth, for your hospitality, and thank you all for coming.  This is our cover subject.  We tried to make the picture a little bigger.

MRS. OBAMA:  I know, right.  (Laughter.)

Q    But I will say Newsweek has been publishing for 77 years, and I believe this is the first time within six weeks or so we’ve had both a husband and a wife write the cover story.  So -- (laughter) -- I know you’ll --  

MRS. OBAMA:  So whose was better, though?  (Laughter.)  That's ultimately how spouses operate, right? (Laughter.)

Q    That’s a very good point, that’s a very good point.  So with all this “first” stuff and living in the White House, forget it.  It’s the Newsweek --

MRS. OBAMA:  This is the one.

Q    It’s the Newsweek cover.

MRS. OBAMA:  I agree.

Q    Why this issue?  Why childhood obesity, of all the things you could have picked?

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, first of all I think it’s absolutely relevant right now.  The statistics are clear, you know.  We’re seeing rates of childhood obesity go up like never before.  And I think the country is also at a point where we’re ready.  And I think that's one of the reasons why the “Let’s Move” initiative has been so well received by so many industries and parents and teachers, is because I think we know there’s a problem, and we’re going to have to come together to solve it.

Now, personally, the issue for me is a personal one.  I’ve spoken about this often, how in my busy lifestyle, before coming into the White House, I was living like most busy mothers -- a husband traveled a lot, I had a full-time job, I bought for convenience and cost.  And I saw some changes -- or my pediatrician saw some changes in my children’s diet that caused him to say, “Hold on.”  And I think I was like most mothers -- I thought I was doing absolutely everything that I was supposed to be doing.  And to me my kids looked fine.  They were perfectly -- hey, you know, they’re my kids, they’re gorgeous.

But I made some changes.  And they were very simple changes in our lifestyle, but it made significant differences -- made a significant difference in how the kids felt, how we felt as a family. 

And I started thinking, well, if I didn’t know these things -- and I’m educated, have resources, I have the support that I need -- what are other families doing?  How are other mothers, people who live in communities that don't have grocery stores -- how are they making these decisions?  How are we teaching kids how to eat?  What’s happened to our habits? 

So even before coming to the White House, this issue moved me in a way that made me think we need to explore this a little bit more.

And then we planted this beautiful garden, 1,100 square feet of pure joy.  And that gave us an opportunity in a very sort of non-confrontational way to begin exploring the questions of how do kids respond to nutritious food and vegetables if they’re part of the process of growing and getting involved.  That's one of the reasons why getting the kids in the D.C. area involved in the work was critical.  And their response really sent us the message that we might be ready to begin this conversation in a more comprehensive way.

So, you know, the time is right.  It’s also important in my husband’s administration, which is something that I try to do with the issues that I take on.  I mean, I say this a lot:  I am here to support the President of the United States, and health care is one of the most important issues that this country is facing.  We are spending $147 billion on obesity-related conditions that are preventable.  And if we can make ourselves healthier, that's going to go a long way to helping find some solutions to this problem.  And these issues intersect in a very important and compelling way.

Q    How did we get here?  What is the history of this?

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you know, I don't think there’s any one path to how we got there.  I know I have my theories.  I think lifestyles have changed significantly.  I reminisce with people about what it was like for me growing up on the South Side of Chicago in a simple working-class community.  You went to the school around the corner from your house because all the schools were solid enough that you just went to the school in your neighborhood.  So you walked to school, number one.

And there was recess and gym.  I was talking to one of my staff members just about how lunchtime, it was an hour. And my mother was one of the mothers that didn’t work, so me and all my friends, we’d come back to our house, we’d watch soap operas, we’d eat lunch.  (Laughter.)  We’d complain about our teachers.

Q    Which ones?

MRS. OBAMA:  “All My Children,” I have to say.  (Laughter.)   That was a big one.

Q    We just made news, ma’am.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  But that was a lunchtime treat, and it was a way -- you know, I thought -- so we ate, we had time to eat our food, have a conversation with our parents, and then go back to school, catch that last minute of play.  So it was a lot of activity. 

We didn’t -- we had seven channels, not 107.  Internet, video games were not a part of the culture.  You had to go outside to play.  So I think kids were naturally more active than they are today.  And now kids are going to schools where they have to take a bus, a car ride.  Some neighborhoods are not safe.  And no matter what you say, in some neighborhoods you can’t tell parents, “Just let your kids go out and play,” because it isn’t safe.  Some kids don't even have friends in their own neighborhood because they live in different communities.

So things have changed, and we are a busier culture.  Parents -- two parents working in the household, so you’re coming home, you’re tired.  We all do it, right?  You know you shouldn’t go to that drive-thru, but you’re just tired, and you know they’ll eat the food without complaining.

We’re also a culture and a society right now that snacks a lot more.  Just some of the statistics I talked about in my speech yesterday was that the average snack amount when I was growing up was one snack a day, if you were lucky.  And now it’s averaging two to three.  They say the average school-age kid is getting six snacks a day.  So we’re taking 200 more calories than we were 40 years ago, 30 years ago just from snacks alone.

So I think some of that convenience, you know, makes it very easy.  You pick up a little bag of chips, you throw it in, the kids are hungry, they’re grabbing this, they’re grabbing that, and before you know it, they’ve snacked their way through the day.

So I think those are just some of the things.  But there are many, many, many -- physical education, the level of activity.  All of that is I think a part of it.

Q    What’s an analogous public health campaign that you think has been successful that could be a kind of model for this? 

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that’s a --

Q    Is it smoking?  Is it seat belts?

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you know, I think seat belts is one of those.  And I actually was talking to Mike Huckabee about this, because he actually made the analogy that this is one of those issues where culturally folks have to be ready to make the shift, you know.  You cannot mandate, legislate seat belt wearing.  You could, but does it really work?  The same thing is true for how we eat and how we live.  You can’t tell people what to do in their own homes, and nor should you.  But there comes a point when we start seeing enough statistics, we sort of get aware of the problems in our own homes, and we start -- we get emotionally ready to make some of those changes.

So we’re at a point now where I think the society is ready for more information.  Parents are looking for the answers.  They know that something is off, and they just now want to figure out, well, what do I need to know?  What am I doing wrong?

Had a conversation with a girlfriend at dinner last night, and we were talking about, “Well, is apple juice okay?  And what about chocolate milk?”  I mean, and this is an educated woman who is confused about what beverage is actually going to be okay, outside of water, which we know is fine.  But parents, societies, schools, we’re now ready to figure that out so that we can make good choices. 

We all care about our kids -- that goes without saying, and that’s why this is not a “blame game” kind of issue.  People are just trying to figure out how to survive, how to make sure their kids are happy and healthy.  And sometimes we just don’t get the information that we need.  And seat belt laws are a similar -- one of those similar challenges, that once we were ready, we were ready to take in the information and make the changes.

Q    It has worked.  How much -- you’ve talked about the cultural shift -- how much of this is regulatory?  What is government’s role in these issues, which I suspect is both a federal and a state, even local question too?

MRS. OBAMA:  Right, right, right.  Well, as I said, there is no expert that will tell you that having government tell people what to do is going to make a difference in this issue.  So the role of government is not to mandate.  And I think the roles are different.  I think at the federal level, at this level, we can highlight and inform.  There are things that we can do at this level, with the FDA, for example, working with food manufacturers to have better front-of-package labeling, things like that.  We can finance and leverage money to try to get more groceries into underserved communities.  We can make sure that we pass legislation that gets us a strong Nutrition Authorization Act so that we get better food in our schools and that there are guidelines that the private sector and schools can follow.

But I think the real work happens on the ground.  It’s our governors, our mayors, our schools, our communities.  And that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been traveling so much, is that a lot of the answers are already out there, even in states like Mississippi who struggle more with this issue than most.  I did some visits with the governor and his wife, terrific folks.  They care about this issue; they know it’s a problem.  And they’re doing some great work to really ramp up physical education in the schools.  You’ve got teachers who are redesigning play spaces and they’re getting kids hula-hooping and jumping rope and they’re making teachers do more work and having them think about their diets.  They’ve created requirements where teachers have to eat lunch with the kids, and they’ve seen vegetable and fruit consumption go up because -- not just with the kids but with the teachers as well.  (Laughter.)

So you can go into many states and see some wonderful examples of things that work in those communities, because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.  What works in Mississippi may not work in Arizona, may not work in Connecticut.  So we really need to look to the governors and mayors who know their communities, who understand their issues, their challenges, and that we work from there, and that we highlight those things that work -- like in Pennsylvania.  They’ve done an amazing job to deal with the issue of food deserts that I’ve talked about; you know, the 23.5 million Americans that live in communities without access to a supermarket.  And there were neighborhoods like that when I was growing up. 

There’s one community in Philadelphia -- we went to visit a grocery store -- that community hadn’t had a grocery store in a decade.  So you think about -- you know, that’s a child’s life, right?  Ten years of a child’s life where their mother couldn’t walk down the street and buy some fruit and a head of broccoli. 

So they’ve structured a financing initiative that leverages government dollars with private sector dollars, and they’ve been able to incentivize getting grocery stores into underserved communities, not just in urban areas but in some of the more rural areas in the state.

So we need to -- we can highlight those successes and hopefully give other states an example of what they might try, what might work.

Q    On Tuesday, you spoke to the Grocery Manufacturers Association.  They sell not only in those supermarkets, those grocery stores, they sell vegetables and fruit; I hear that there’s also some sugary stuff around -- (laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  A few things, a few things.

Q    My five-year-old has briefed me on this.

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, yes.  (Laughter.)

Q    And my question is, one logical extension, if the epidemic is as significant and widespread as it seems to be, what would you think about a warning label on Twinkies or Froot Loops that says --

MRS. OBAMA:  “Warning.”

Q    -- “This is known to cause obesity in the absence of other kinds of eating and exercise”?

MRS. OBAMA:  You know, that strikes me as extreme, because a Twinkie is not a cigarette, you know.  And what -- what parents need is just information about what’s in the Twinkie and how much of this can we eat.  It’s not that we can’t have a Twinkie.  And our kids would be pretty upset.  And I am not supporting that.  (Laughter.)  So all the kids out there -- right? 

Q    It’s called triangulation, ma’am.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  I’m all in favor of good snacks.  We grew up with snacks and chips.  We did.  But we have to exercise more, parents have to understand what’s in the Twinkie; again, how does it fit into the overall diet.  So we don’t need a warning, we need information.  And we need information that’s easy to understand.  That’s something that I said yesterday in the speech.  You read labels now and it’s like the small print and it’s all “oleosutomay” -- or I don’t -- the chemicals, you can’t even pronounce them, and the portion sizes compared to one, and you’ve got a small one and a big one.  And then, before you know it, you don’t know what to buy and how much to give to your kids and in what amounts.  That’s the kind of information that families need.

And I think that the Grocery Store Manufacturers who are -- they have been magnificent.  And I know that there are those who say, well, are they going to really make changes?  Look, the people who run those companies are parents and grandparents, too.  They care about their kids.  They’re trying to figure out how to meet the demand and how to give information.

And we know that they’re going to sit down -- you know, we know they’re going to sit down and help us figure this stuff out.  You know, what are the facts that parents need to know; how do we structure it in a way that they can understand; and how do they meet the demands that we are now going to make -- because it’s really up to us, as the parents and the consumers, to change the demand. 

They will make what we tell them we want to buy.  And if we want healthier foods for our kids, and that's what we’re purchasing, our power will shift their market.  We don't need much more than our own demands to change, and we need to work with our kids to also get them to change their eating habits as well.

So it’s going to require all of us to do their parts, and then we don't need the warning labels.  We just need common sense and good information.

Q    Twinkies are safe in the Obama administration.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, we are -- (laughter) -- yes, I think I'm -- I feel good going on record.  (Laughter.)

Q    Okay.  We don't have to pass a special rule.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  No.

Q    Where do you stand on a beverage tax for sugary beverages?

MRS. OBAMA:  You know, the “Let’s Move” initiative doesn’t -- we’re not -- doesn’t involve a tax.  But there are communities that believe that taxing sodas and other things works for them.  And again, because, you know, we believe that those ideas and those approaches need to come from the bottom up, there are going to be cities and states and towns who believe that that's what they need in their communities.  And, again, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.  And I think that's where mayors, governors, citizens, schools, you know, working in your own states and communities -- to figure out really what’s going to work and what’s going to move the bar on this issue.

Q    What’s your sense of posting calorie counts?  It happens in New York -- actually, where I live, and it’s very depressing, actually.  (Laughter.)  The mayor of New York has made it very hard to go to Dunkin’ Donuts.  (Laughter.)  But it works.  Is that something else that should be a weapon in the arsenal?

MRS. OBAMA:  I think the more information we can give to consumers, families, parents, the better.  There are examples outside of New York -- in Somerville, Massachusetts, the mayor there has been working with some of the local restaurant owners to get them to change their menus so that there are healthier options and customers have more information about what’s in stuff.  I think that's a good thing. 

But also in Somerville they’re going beyond just what we eat and they’re also thinking more creatively about how in every aspect of what they do to run that city, they’re thinking about the health and well-being of kids.  So that comes down to how many parks they have; and what their roads look like; and if they’re building a new street, making sure there’s a sidewalk and a place for kids to ride their bikes.  I mean, again, this isn't just about what we eat, this is about how we live.

In some of the towns in Mississippi they have to think creatively about where they don't have places to play -- you know, maybe you take an old field and turn it into a soccer field and let the city pay a dollar for it.  And you find ways, creative ways, to make sure there are spaces for families to live in a healthy way.

Those are the kind of ideas that we want to promote.  Those are the kind of things that are working.  We just need to do more of it and we need to do it faster.

Q    There’s also, both in rural areas and in urban areas, there’s an economic issue, which is -- you mentioned convenience, but often the fast food can be even less expensive sometimes than getting healthy food.

MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely.

Q    Can you talk about that disparity and what we can do about it?

MRS. OBAMA:  That disparity is very real.  I mean -- no, I talked about it with the grocery manufacturers as well.  It’s not just making healthy food, but it’s making healthy food that's affordable.  And that's a challenge, as well, but we have to recognize that we need to move in that direction.  There are -- you know, we can't look families in the face and say, “You fix this problem,” but then you can't afford the food that they need to fix the problem; they don't have access to it.  We have to figure this out.

The school lunch program is a major -- is going to be a major player in the whole resource issue because many kids are getting the majority of their meals at school.  So that's one of those areas where we have some control over as a society because, you know, we’re going to feed these kids for two out of three or four of their meals, depending upon how many they have.  So we need to make sure that we pass legislation that makes sense, that sets clear basic nutritional guidelines, not just in the school lunch lines, but in the vending machines and a la carte lines; that we have the resources to help schools bring their standards up.

Things like -- in Mississippi, what Governor Barbour did with some of his stimulus money was to remove fryers and put in ovens.  I mean, it’s just something as simple -- the school nutritionist will tell you, we want to do better, but all we have is a fryer, which means when you have a fryer then you have to fry stuff.  (Laughter.)  So we need to make sure that the schools have the resources they need to make the changes to get healthier food into the schools.

But we also have to make sure that every single child that is eligible for free and reduced lunch actually gets it, that we reduce the paperwork to make sure that -- if you look at some of the paperwork that families get to sign up, and then they have to re-sign up and then they have to fill it out.  You know, you look at that, you're busy and, you know, you just brush it under the rug, you don't complete it.  We have to make those processes and procedures easier.  And I think we can go a long way to helping underserved families with the school lunch program.

Q    How does obesity affect classroom learning?

MRS. OBAMA:  I think, you know, this week it opened this up, right, to the audience.  I mean, we know -- in our own kids, in our own lives -- how kids respond when they have a good meal, they’ve eaten the right things.  We know what happens to kids when they are hyped up on sugar and they’re operating on too much sugar and not enough substance.  We see it in our own lives. 

So you just imagine if you send a kid to school with a sugary breakfast and a sugary drink, and they have to learn for a few hours and they stop maybe for 10 minutes for lunch -- maybe -- and they haven’t had a chance to run and run off that energy.  And then they start dropping because they’re coming down from all that sugar.  And they don't even know it.  They don't even know why they feel lethargic, why they get sleepy at about eleven o’clock during the day -- just like we all do when we don't eat right.  I mean, we all experience it.

So it definitely affects how kids feel throughout the day, which is something that we have to remember.  This issue is not about looks and appearance.  This is about how our kids feel and how they feel about themselves, because how you feel inside affects the way you approach the day; even the way you tackle the challenge.  If you feel like, you know, you're full and you've eaten some fruit and you've gotten some grains, that affects the way you think.

So this isn't an image issue.  This is truly an overall health issue.  And kids, in addition to needing to eat well, have to run.  They have to run around during the day.  They have to get the energy out, you know?  I mean, you've got kids.  You imagine trying to teach your child sitting still for hours --

Q    Oh, in our house (inaudible) the time.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Right.  All right, okay, Jon.  (Laughter.)

Q    We read “Newsweek” aloud.  (Laughter.)  They love the Obama collection.

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, good.  It’s very good.  (Laughter.)

Q    No, you’re right, absolutely.  But why isn't -- I mean, we’re lucky in that our kids -- where our kids go to school, they run around.  That's not true in a lot of places.  Physical education is often the first thing to go.  Recess has been cut back.  From a policy perspective, is that simply a financial issue?  Is it because the standards, classroom standards have been set at a point where they can't afford a single moment of classroom time?  What’s your analysis of the end of recess?

MRS. OBAMA:  I think that educators, administrators, parents would say it’s all of it.  Some of it feels like a resource issue.  And some of it is when you’re testing so much and you’re meeting requirements, you feel like the first thing that goes -- if your money is tied to a test score and not to recess, you know, and whether your kids can run around, then the choice is already made for you, some administrators feel.

But there are also examples where schools are figuring out how even in this current climate of testing and lack of resources, how to put that stuff back into the curriculum.  The Department of Agriculture has the U.S. Healthier School Challenge, which is an initiative that we’re promoting as part of the “Let’s Move” initiative.  We’re going to -- we want to double the number of schools in this country that qualify as U.S. Healthier Schools.  There are currently about 600 of them around the country.  Our goal under “Let’s Move” is to double that, because these are schools that are the models for what we’d like to see happening with nutrition and physical education, because without any additional resources, they figured out how to restructure their curriculum, how to use nutrition education as part of math and science; they found ways to mandate and reincorporate recess and gym back into their classrooms.

I mean, there are schools -- wonderful, public schools -- all over the country that are figuring how to restructure the day.  But what I’ve found when I’ve talked to principals, administrators who’ve made that choice, they have decided as a school community that exercise and nutrition isn’t an extra; that it is an essential part of what a good curriculum has to look like. 

So in one school that I visited in Virginia, they don’t allow teachers to take recess or gym away as a punishment because their feeling is that’s counter-productive.  So now you’ve got a problem, so you’ve taken away the one thing that may help the kid wind out of the problem.  So they’ve -- you know, they’ve said you can’t take that away, because that’s part of the curriculum.  That’s like telling the kid, well, you didn’t do well in spelling, so you’re not going to be able to do math today.

Q    In addition to the Twinkie thing, that might be a very good political move -- (laughter) -- pull them out of math. 

MRS. OBAMA:  Right, right.  (Laughter.)  But I am not -- now, I did not say that.  (Laughter.)

Q    No, ma’am, just me.  (Laughter.)  It was me. 

MRS. OBAMA:  That’s your idea. 

Q    Yes, ma’am. 

MRS. OBAMA:  But there are schools that are figuring out how to make this happen.  Our job is to give them the resources they need, hold them up, celebrate those successes and help other school districts figure out how do they do the same thing.  How have they managed in the current climate?  What’s the difference?  Why does one school manage to do it and another can’t?  Is it at the regional level?  Is it the superintendent support?  I mean, we could probably talk to educators in this room right now who are -- just they know the answer to this, and they’re ready to jump on it.

But there are schools that are doing it.  And we need to make sure that more are doing it.  This should be the standard of how our kids get an education in this country. 

Q    Last question, ma’am.  How will you measure success, as you look at the lifetime of the administration, of your own ongoing work, presumably?

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, the goal for “Let’s Move,” the whole goal of this initiative, is to end the problem of childhood obesity in a generation.  So this is a generational issue.  And our view is that we want kids born today to grow up at a healthy weight.  And it will take a generation to see how that’s going.

But one of the things that the administration is doing now -- the President signed an executive order creating the first ever Council on Childhood Obesity.  They are now reviewing every single program and policy, not just in the government but in the country, that focuses on education and nutrition.  And we need to figure out how to use the resources we have more smartly.

But we’re going to get that report in May.  We’re looking forward to that.  And part of that -- the interesting thing about that approach is that we’re saying we need real, measurable outcomes.  And the foundation that was set up as part of this initiative -- and we’ve got some wonderful foundations who have been researching and investing in this issue for decades -- RJW, Kellogg -- I don’t want to begin to name all of them, because I’ll miss some -- but they are going to be sort of the future arm of this, so that when I’m gone, when the President is gone and the next administration comes in, you’ve got an independent group that’s going to continue to look at these goals and help us figure out whether we’re reaching the goals, and keep our feet to the fire, because, again, this isn’t something that’s going to happen in this administration.

This is -- we are looking at this as a forever proposition, because fundamentally, as I said in my speech to the food manufacturers, we have to change the way we view food and health forever.  And we can start with kids, because they haven’t -- their habits haven’t been ingrained.  We can shift the way they think, even the way they taste food.  We can do that.  Us, you know, grownups -- (laughter) -- not so much.  We’re a little stuck in our ways.

But we can still guide our children.  I still think of my mother, who said -- you know, she had no problem doing things that she told me I couldn’t do.  (Laughter.)  So even though we, as parents, haven’t conquered it and maybe we don’t -- we’re not doing it, we can still help our kids get to a different place.  And it’s going to take time.  And it’s going to take patience.  And we’re going to need everyone involved.

But I think about where we started a year ago with the planting of this little garden.  And now, we have this wonderful initiative that has the food industry coming together; and bipartisan support all over the country; parents feeling excited and support it; kids -- (laughter) -- you know, they’re coming.  (Laughter.)  We’ve got the professional sports community standing by. 

This is an issue that can unite the country.  And it can unite us with the rest of the world, because the truth is there isn’t a single head of state or spouse of a head of state who I have met who has not been fascinated by our garden and our conversations around nutrition, because so many other countries are beginning to see some of the effects as they develop.  They’re seeing their rates go up.

So this is an issue for the world.  And we can truly be a leader, but we have to be patient.  And we also have to be clear that we need to work really hard and stretch.  So when we talk to the food industry, we say, you have to do more.  When we talk to ourselves as parents, we have to push ourselves.  We have to talk to Congress.  And we have to say, you have to push to ensure that we’re getting the kind of regulations and support so that our school meals are healthy.

We all have to stretch on this one.  And if we do, I think we can -- we will see a change in our kids that we can be proud of.

Q    Well, thank you so much for your work, for your piece this week --

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you for investing in this conversation.

Q    -- and for this remarkable presentation.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END
1:02 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at the Friends of Ireland Luncheon

1:10 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Please, everybody be seated.  To Speaker Pelosi; distinguished members of the House and Senate; Republican Leader Boehner; Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; my outstanding Vice President and his newest chief of staff  -- (laughter) -- to Prime Minister Cowen and the entire Irish delegation, as well as the extraordinary leaders from Ireland and Northern Ireland -- it is my privilege to welcome all of  you for this wonderful St. Patrick’s Day tradition. 

And, Governor O’Malley, thank you for that outstanding rendition of our two national anthems.  (Applause.)  I had asked if Martin was going to do a rock-and-roll version.  (Laughter.)  Some of you know he’s got a rock band and is in much demand.   

This tradition, as most of you know, was begun by Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan, two men who agreed on their love of all things Irish -- including a good scrum.  But they also knew how to set aside time just to enjoy one another’s company.  President Reagan himself said that the two men could be friends after six o’clock.  And I imagine they also made a midday exception for this luncheon every year.

Today is a day we speak with pride of being Irish-American -- whether we actually are or not.  (Laughter.)  I am pleased to say that I can actually get away with it, and I’ve got the  Taoiseach here to vouch for me.  Prime Minister Cowen was born in County Offaly, and I can trace my ancestry on my mother’s side there as well.  I believe it was my great-great-great-great-great grandfather.  (Laughter.)  This is true.  (Laughter.)  He was a boot maker, if I'm not mistaken.

Someone actually discovered my Irish lineage when I was running for President, and my first thought was why didn’t anyone discover this when I was running for office in Chicago?  (Laughter.)  I would have gotten here sooner.  (Laughter.)  I used to put the apostrophe after the “O” but that did not work.  (Laughter.)   

So it is nice to have a little Irish blood today.  It is, after all, a day to celebrate and give thanks for the profound and enduring relationship between Ireland and America.  And it’s also a day to thank the Irish people for all that they’ve done for America. 

Few nations so small have had such an enormous impact on another.  They came to our shores in waves by choice as well as by necessity, building new lives even as they were building a new nation, enriching our heritage, enriching our culture in their own way.  And in so doing, alongside so many others who sought a better life in America, they forged a better future for all of us.

But the truth is they weren’t always welcomed.  There were times where the Irish were caricatured and stereotyped and cursed at and blamed for society’s ills.  So, naturally, it was a good fit for them to go into politics.  (Laughter.)  Made sense.  (Laughter.) 

When the fictional Mayor Skeffington of Edwin O’Connor’s “The Last Hurrah,” spoke of his life as an Irish-American, he said, “When I began, it was long ago, and the situation around here was a bit different.  I had no education to speak of, a good many roads were closed to our people -- and politics seemed the easiest way out.”  (Laughter.)

Today, of course, we all feel the heavy absence of one of our greatest Irish-Americans; a man who loved this day so much; a man who I believe is still watching this body closely, particularly this week -- and that is our beloved Ted Kennedy.  And I’m so grateful that Vicki and Patrick are here.  Thank you for your presence.  (Applause.)

I confess that one of my fondest memories of Teddy has been on my mind lately -- it’s one that I shared before.  Just a few years ago, on St. Patrick’s Day, so it would probably be maybe five years ago, when I had just gotten to the Senate, Teddy cornered me on the Senate floor for my support on a piece of legislation.  And I told him, “You’ve got my vote, Teddy, but I got to tell you, this is not looking good.  I do not think this thing is going to fly.”  But it did, with votes to spare.  And so I grabbed Teddy, pulled him aside.  I said, “How did you pull that off?”  And he just patted me on the back and he said, “Luck of the Irish!”

And it’s nice when the luck of the Irish can bring to the Senate and to Congress such an extraordinary leader as Ted Kennedy.  I think it’s a little providence, as well as a little luck.  It’s also nice when the luck of the Irish can bring us all together, Republicans and Democrats.  That was one of Teddy’s talents.  Even as he waged epic and unyielding battles in this building, he, too, was a believer that we were all friends after six o’clock. 

And more importantly, he was a believer in building consensus, in forging compromise, in the idea that the only way that we can accomplish the work of the American people is to work together.  And one of the greatest testaments to his life and his work, I think, was that so many of his colleagues, past and present, Republican and Democrats, came forward to honor him in similar terms.

That work -- the work of setting aside old differences and softening hardened positions, taking the tough steps to do what’s right in the long run over what’s easy in the moment -- has also paid dividends in terms of the remarkable progress that we’ve seen in Northern Ireland, particularly in recent months.  And so I want to salute First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness for their outstanding leadership, their continuing example.  (Applause.)  We are grateful for that.  Thank you.

It is such leadership that keeps me convinced that our best days -- for this legislative body, for this nation, for Ireland, and for Northern Ireland, and for the friendship between our peoples -- those best days are still ahead.

So, Taoiseach, I thank you and your lovely wife for coming.  To you and to the people of Ireland, America is grateful for our shared past, hopeful for our common future, and I assure you we will be a faithful partner in the work of progress and prosperity, and a just a lasting peace.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you.  And with that, please welcome the Prime Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen.  (Applause.)

END
1:18 P.M. EDT

Remarks by President Obama and the Taoiseach of Ireland Brian Cowen

11:26 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good morning, everybody.  First of all, I just want to congratulate this sound person right here for having the green earmuffs.  (Laughter.)  Now, I haven’t seen that before.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody. 

Before I talk a little bit about the strong and enduring bond between the American and Irish people, I just want to thank Congress for passing this morning the HIRE Act.  It is the first of what I hope will be a series of jobs packages that help to continue to put people back to work all across America. 

This bill will provide tax cuts to small businesses that are willing to begin hiring right now, putting people back to work.  It’s also going to provide significant tax breaks to businesses for investing in their business, and so, hopefully, at a time when we're starting to see an upswing in the economic growth, that will help sustain it.  And the bill also will continue to improve our ability to finance infrastructure projects all across the country.

I also want to say to the Republicans who voted for this bill that I appreciate their willingness to work with Democrats in a bipartisan fashion to get America moving again.  And as I said, I hope that on a series of future steps that we take to help small businesses get financing, to help improve our infrastructure around the country, to put people back to work, that we're going to see more progress on that front.

I want to thank the Taoiseach for coming here today.  Last year we had the opportunity to get to know each other and had a wonderful time during St. Patrick’s Day.  Thirty-six million Americans claim Irish ancestry -– I'm sure more do on St. Patrick’s Day.  And it’s a testament I think to how close our two countries are that America has been shaped culturally, politically, economically by the incredible contributions of Irish Americans.  Those bonds endure.  And in our meeting we reaffirmed how important it is for us to continue a strong partnership across a whole host of issues.

I thanked the Taoiseach for the assistance that they’ve provided on critical international issues.  We use the facilities in Ireland for transit for our military troops to Afghanistan.  The Irish police are providing training in Afghanistan.  As the Taoiseach indicated, the Irish government punches above its weight on a whole host of critical issues.  We're going to be working together to enhance food security around the world.  Even in these difficult times it’s important for us to make sure that we're tackling big issues like world hunger.

I congratulated the Taoiseach and his government for the extraordinary work that they engaged in, working with Gordon Brown and the British government, as well as Secretary Hillary Clinton, in reaffirming the progress that's been made in Northern Ireland and to get a ratification of continued devolution.  It’s a sign of his leadership, and we want to be as supportive as possible in advancing the Northern Ireland peace process.

We also discussed the economy.  And on both sides of the Atlantic we are seeing stabilization of the economy, but obviously we want more than just stabilization.  There are a lot of people out there that are still hurting, still out of work.  And so we will continue to coordinate in international fora as well as bilaterally to see how we can spur investment and private sector growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

So I just wanted to say how grateful we are for the friendship and the partnership between the United States government and the Irish government.  We wish you and everybody who is here a happy St. Patrick’s Day, and are looking forward to the reception that we'll have in the White House later this evening.

TAOISEACH COWEN:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  And we are -- I and my delegation -- delighted to be able to join you here at the White House this morning on this wonderful St. Patrick’s Day morning.  And I think the sun shining outside and the light coming in I think typifies the excellent relationship that Ireland enjoys with the United States not only now, but as you say, over many generations.  And that contribution to America by Ireland is a continuing one, one that we have to find and give modern expression to all the time.

And certainly the level of cooperation and common cause we enjoy together in terms of the issues of today in the economy and how we can ensure that our economies recover as quickly as possible is something that’s very important to both our countries.  And certainly in Ireland’s context the resurgent  U.S. economy will be a strong indicator of our return to prosperity.  And we very much commend the very decisive steps that you have taken in terms of the economic issues and the banking issues, which have been so successful.

I think we are seeking to replicate ourselves in our own context as a recapitalization of our banking system and making sure that we have a banking system fit for purpose that will assist recovery and grow jobs again in the future, and provide investment and credit, working credit for businesses that are hard pressed in the very difficult trading environment.

In that context I’ve been delighted to head a delegation here to the United States and having visited Chicago, the West Coast, Silicon Valley and now Washington, D.C. over the last couple of days; 70 small- and medium-sized enterprises have been over with us, doing trade with American companies.  I’m glad to say that the two-way relationship in terms of investment is continuing.  Over 34 billion euros have been invested by Irish companies in the United States, employing 85,000 people directly.
 
And that, if you like, mirrors the very significant U.S. investment that’s taking place in Ireland, employing directly of the order of 90,000 people.  So that important two-way mutual benefit to this trade is very, very important, one I know that you’re equally cognizant about in terms of finding jobs for your people as we seek to provide jobs for ours.

On Northern Ireland, we are deeply grateful for the continuing and deep commitment shown by the Obama administration, by the President, himself, and by Secretary of State Clinton in recent months.  We’ve been very grateful for that continuing interest which has influenced an outcome that has been so positive.  As I said to the President, for a place that has been known for its disagreements, a 98-17 vote was a very good vote to get.  I’m sure he’s looking forward to a good outcome in what he’s doing during the course of this week.

We decided to come on a quiet week -- we knew there wasn’t much going on.  (Laughter.)  But in that context, it reinforces the fact that we are so, so grateful that the President gives so much of his time -- both himself as President, his administration, and, indeed, the people on the Hill from both parties are very welcoming of us.  And we deeply appreciate that, as both a recognition of the contribution of Ireland thus far to America, but also the continuing important relationship we enjoy.

So on all these fronts, again, it’s a great pleasure to meet with the leader of the free world.  We are deeply grateful for his sense of mission not only in terms of how America is progressing, but America’s position in the world.  And we will always be supportive of the very progressive stands and positions that President Obama has taken -- not only in terms of the economic issues, but on development issues.  We will have a co-chairing by Secretary Clinton and Micheál Martin, our foreign minister, at the U.N. Conference on Hunger and Food Security.  And these are another indication of the values we share and our ability to cooperate and provide leadership positions is one that we’ve very grateful and privileged to enjoy with you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you. 

Thank you, everybody.

Q    -- that Representative Kucinich will vote for the health care bill --

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That's a good sign.

Q    What did you tell him?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I told him thank you.

Q    Will you be going to Ireland, Mr. President?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I would love to be going to Ireland.

END
11:35 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Grocery Manufacturers Association Conference

11:40 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  And Rick, thank you for that very kind introduction.  I enjoyed our meeting, as well.  And thanks to all of you for having me here at this year’s Science Forum.  It is a true pleasure to with all of you today.  And I hope you get out and see a little sunshine, because we have some. 

I understand you’ve gathered here in Washington this week to discuss some of the most pressing issues that your industry faces.  And I’m very pleased to see that your agenda today includes sessions about helping customers meet their lifestyle needs and about advancing America’s public health, because the topic that I’d like to discuss with you today –- the epidemic of childhood obesity -– falls at the intersection of these two issues.

Now, I know you’re all familiar with the statistics here: how childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades –- nearly one in three children in this country are now overweight or obese.  And you all know the health consequences –- from hypertension to heart disease, cancer to diabetes. 

And I know you’re well aware of the economic consequences: how we’re currently spending billions of dollars treating obesity-related conditions -– costs that many of your companies pay in the form of rising health care expenses; expenses that will only continue to rise and affect your bottom lines if we fail to act.

But you also know that this is a relatively new phenomenon, because back when many of us were growing up, we tended to be able to lead lives that kept us at a pretty healthy weight.  Most of us walked to and from school every day, and then we ran around all day at recess, in gym class, and then for hours after school before dinner.  We usually ate more sensibly.  Oftentimes we had home-cooked meals with reasonable portion sizes -– and like it or not, there was always a vegetable on the plate.  And fast food was a rare treat.  Snacking between meals was frowned upon.  I mean, we all had our share of soda, chips and desserts, but certainly not every day, and not at every meal. 

But our kids today lead a very different kind of life.  Those walks to and from school have been replaced by car and bus rides.  Gym class and school sports have been cut, replaced by afternoons with the TV, and video games, and the Internet. 

And while parents want to provide healthy food for their kids, many of them are working longer hours, or some of them more than one job -- so they just can’t swing those home-cooked meals anymore. 

And today, snacking between meals has become more the norm rather than the exception.  And while kids 30 years ago ate just one snack a day, we’re now trending toward three –- so our kids are taking in an additional 200 calories a day just from snacks alone.  And one in five school-age kids has up to six snacks a day. 

And portion sizes have exploded.  Food portions are two to five times bigger than they used to be.  And beverage portions have grown as well.  In the mid-1970s, the average sweetened drink portions were about 13.6 ounces.  And today, our kids think nothing of drinking 20 ounces of soda at a time. 

As of 2006, folks were spending about 22 percent of their grocery dollars on sweets, salty snacks, and desserts -- and that’s compared to a little over 12 percent on fruits and vegetables. 

All told, we’re eating 31 percent more calories than we were just 40 years ago –- and that’s including 56 percent more fats and oil and 14 percent more sugars and sweeteners.  In fact, we now add sweeteners to all kinds of products in amounts unimaginable just a generation ago. 

So sometimes, when we buy the foods that our parents bought us, we don’t realize that they’re not always as healthy as they used to be.  And today, the average American is actually eating 15 more pounds of sugar compared to a year -- than they were back in 1970. 

So it’s just gotten to the point where we as parents know that things have gotten out of balance.  And we know that many of our kids aren’t as healthy and active as they should be.  And we desperately want to do the right things.  But we’re inundated with conflicting information.  Our kids sometimes are bombarded by ads for unhealthy products.  And many folks in this country are struggling to find foods that are both healthy for their kids but affordable for their families.    

And I know what that’s like, because I’ve been there.  Now, while today I have way more help and support than I could have ever imagined, I didn’t always live in the White House.  You remember.  I didn’t have all these resources.

And it wasn’t long ago that I was a working mom dashing from meetings and phone calls, ballet and soccer and whatever else.  I felt like it was a miracle just to get through the day and get everybody where they were supposed to be. 

So the last thing I had time to do was to stand in a grocery store aisle squinting at ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce to figure out whether something was healthy or not.  Like many busy parents, I was shopping primarily for convenience and cost.  I bought products that were pre-packaged, pre-cut, pre-cooked.  If it was “pre,” I was getting it -- (laughter) -- because I was looking for anything that was quick and easy to prepare and to consume.  And I was grateful for the time and the effort that I saved with these kinds of products. 

But I was also completely unaware that all that extra convenience sometimes made it just a little too easy for me to eat too much, for my kids to eat too much, and to eat too often.  And like so many families, my family fell into the habit of living that “grab-and-go” lifestyle, eating more and more between meals.  And slowly, all of those extra calories really just started to add up. 

Now, I’m not saying by any means that we should try to turn back the clock to how things were when we were kids, because those days are long gone.  And life is far more complicated these days. 

And I also know that we can’t solve this problem by passing a bunch of laws in Washington.  I’ve talked to a lot of experts about this issue, and not a single one has said that the solution is for the federal government to tell people what to do.

But what we can do is that we can help families make changes that fit with their budgets, with their schedules, with their needs, and with their tastes. 

What we can do is bring together all of us -- governors, mayors, doctors, nurses, businesses, non-profits, educators, parents, all of us -- to tackle this challenge once and for all. 

And what we can do is finally make this national public health threat a national priority.

And that’s why we launched “Let’s Move” –- a nationwide campaign to rally this country around a single and very ambitious goal:  to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that kids born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

With “Let’s Move,” we’re issuing a call to action.  We are telling everyone let’s move to give parents the information they need to make better decisions for their kids.  Let’s move to get healthier food into our schools.  Let’s move to get more supermarkets into underserved areas so that all Americans have access to fresh, nutritious foods.  And probably most importantly, let’s move to help our kids be more physically active -- both in and out of school.

But here’s the thing –- we can build shiny new supermarkets on every block, but we need those supermarkets to actually provide healthy options at prices people can afford.  And we can insist that our schools serve better food, but we need to actually produce that food.  And we can give parents all the information in the world, but they still won’t have time to untangle labels filled with 10-syllable words or do long division with these portion sizes.

And that’s really where all of you come in.  As you know, you all produce much of the food that our children eat –- and have marketed to them -- each day.  The decisions you make determine what’s in our grocery store shelves, what’s in our school lunches, and what’s in the thousands of advertisements our kids are exposed to each year.  And I know that many of you are undertaking efforts to significantly reformulate your products -– and I hope that the time will come when all of you are.

Many of you are also working to educate kids about good nutrition, and to limit advertisements for certain products to our children.  And I know that a number of you -- and I’ve met several of the committee -- have come together to create the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to help address the issue of childhood obesity.  So there are so many good examples, wonderful examples, of folks beginning to move in the right direction.  It’s very exciting.

But I’m here today to urge all of you to move faster and to go farther, because the truth is we don’t have a moment to waste -- because a baby born today could be less than a decade away from showing the first signs of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, if he or she is obese as a child.  A recent study even found that three-year-olds who were obese already had one of the symptoms of heart disease.

So we need you all to step it up.  We all need to step up in this country.  This is a shared responsibility.  That’s why I’ve gone to parents and I’ve asked them to do their part.  They have a responsibility to watch what their kids eat and teach good habits.  I’ve asked medical professionals to do their part.  They have a responsibility to screen kids for obesity and help parents with these issues.  Educators have a responsibility to build healthy schools.  Governors and mayors have a responsibility to build healthy communities.  And all of you have a responsibility as well.

And we need you not just to tweak around the edges, but to entirely rethink the products that you’re offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children.

That starts with revamping or ramping up your efforts to reformulate your products, particularly those aimed at kids, so that they have less fat, salt, and sugar, and more of the nutrients that our kids need.

And I understand that this is easier said than done.  This doesn’t happen overnight.  We all know that human beings -- I, for one, know -- are hard-wired to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods.  And it is temping to take advantage of that –- to create products that are sweeter, richer, and saltier than ever before. 

But doing so doesn’t just respond to people’s natural inclinations -- it also actually helps to shape them.  And this can be particularly dangerous when it comes to our kids, because as all of you know, as parents, the more of these products they have in their diets, the more accustomed they become to those tastes, and then the more deeply embedded these foods become in their eating habits.

But here’s the good news:  It can also work the other way around as well.  Just as we can shape our children’s preferences for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods -- with a lot of persistence, we can also turn them on to high-quality, healthier foods as well.

But the only way we can do this is to work together.  And this needs to be a serious industry-wide commitment to providing the healthier foods parents are looking for at prices they can afford.

And again, I know these changes will not happen overnight.  It’s going to take a lot of tries to come up with products that are both healthy and still palatable for our kids.  And that may mean some real creativity and effort on your part. 

But what it doesn’t mean is taking out one problematic ingredient, only to replace it with another.  While decreasing fat is certainly a good thing, replacing it with sugar and salt isn’t.  And it doesn’t mean compensating for high amounts of problematic ingredients with small amounts of beneficial ones -- for example, adding a little bit of Vitamin C to a product with lots of sugar, or a gram of fiber to a product with tons of fat doesn’t suddenly make those products good for our kids.

This isn’t about finding creative ways to market products as healthy.  As you know, it’s about producing products that actually are healthy -- products that can help shape the health habits of an entire generation. 

It’s also about giving parents the information they need to make good decisions about purchasing those products.  A recent survey by the FDA shows that the vast majority of Americans rely on labels to help them decide what foods to buy.  But we know those labels aren’t always as helpful as they could be.  And it’s hard enough to figure out whether any one food item is healthy.  It’s even harder to compare items.  And folks just don’t have the time to line products up side by side and figure out whether these compare or not.  And they shouldn’t have to.  Parents shouldn’t need a magnifying glass and a calculator to make healthy choices for their kids.

That’s why, as Rick said, we need clear, consistent, front-of-the-package labels that give people the information they’ve been asking for, in a format that they understand.  And I am so pleased that you all have committed to working with the FDA to develop these labels.  We are so eager to hear your thoughts and ideas of getting this done right. 

And you know there’s absolutely no reason why we cannot find common ground on this issue.  This one’s a no-brainer, because this is the bare minimum we should do for our kids to help their parents make good choices.  And this fall the FDA is going to begin pursuing voluntary agreements from your companies, and I hope that all of you will join in on that effort.

But your role in helping address childhood obesity isn’t just limited to what you put in your products and how you label those products for parents.  It’s also about how you market those products to our kids.  Our kids didn’t learn about the latest sweets and snack foods on their own.  They hear about these products from advertisements on TV, the Internet, video games, schools, many other places.  And any parent knows this marketing is really effective.  We’ve all had to endure those impassioned pleas in the grocery store for one product or another.  Some of us have been treated to full-scale reenactments of TV commercials and jingles, word for word, right on key.  (Laughter.)

I was sharing with somebody -- I was talking to Sasha about who I was speaking to, and she said, “Who are these people?”  I said, “They make the food that we eat.”  “Oh, like Honey Nut Cheerios?  Part of a healthy breakfast?”  (Laughter.)  Like, all right, kid.

So this isn’t surprising when studies show that even a single commercial can impact a child’s brand preferences -- and that kids who see foods advertised on TV are significantly more likely to ask for them at the store.

So whatever we believe about personal responsibility and self-determination, I think we can all agree that it doesn’t apply to kids.

I think we can all agree that parents need more control over the products and messages their kids are exposed to.  Parents are working hard to provide a healthy diet and to teach healthy habits -- and we’d like to know that our efforts won’t be undermined every time our children turn on the TV or see a flashy display in a store.

Again, I know many of you have voluntarily committed to limit your marketing to children, which is a step in the right direction, an important step.  And I hope that those of you who haven’t will think about doing so as well.

But we also have to be honest.  Even with this commitment, a study found that last year, while there were fewer food ads in children’s programming, more than 70 percent of foods marketed to kids were still among the least healthy, with less than 1 percent being among the most healthy.

And in the face of these statistics, we have to ask ourselves, are we really making sufficient progress here?  Are we doing everything that we can to secure the health and future of our kids?

So today I want to challenge each and every one of you to go back to your companies, take a look at your marketing budgets and ask some questions.  For example, when you put money into reformulating a product to make it healthier, do you then invest enough in marketing that product to kids and parents?   Or is most of the marketing budget still going to the less healthy versions?  In other words, which products are you really selling?  And what kinds of messages are your advertisements sending? 

As a mom, I know it is my responsibility -- and no one else’s -- to raise my kids.  But what does it mean when so many parents are finding that their best efforts are undermined by an avalanche of advertisements aimed at their kids?  And what are these ads teaching kids about food and nutrition?  That it’s good to have salty, sugary food and snacks every day -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner?  That dessert is an everyday food? That it’s okay to eat unhealthy foods because they’re endorsed by the cartoon characters our children love and the celebrities our teenagers look up to? 

So let’s be clear, it’s not enough just to limit ads for foods that aren’t healthy.  It’s going to be so critical to increase marketing for foods that are healthy. 

And if there is anyone here who can sell food to our kids, it’s you.  You know what gets their attention.  You know what makes that lasting impression.  You know what gets them to drive their parents crazy in the grocery store.  And I’m here today to ask you to use that knowledge and that power to our kids’ advantage.  I’m asking you to actively promote healthy foods and healthy habits to our kids. 

And we know there’s a huge and growing market for these kind of foods.  I have yet to meet a single parent who doesn’t understand the threat of childhood obesity.  I’ve yet to meet a single parent who is not eager to buy healthier products. 

And this administration is committed to doing the same.  As we reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, we’re working to ensure that all food served in schools -- not just through the school meal program, but in a la carte lines and vending machines as well -- meets basic nutritional guidelines.  And we’re proposing a historic investment of $10 billion over the next 10 years to help fund these efforts.  And your support for this is going to make a huge difference in helping us get this done. 

We’re also putting our money where our mouth is with an initiative to provide fresher, healthier food in all federal government workplaces.  And to give you an idea of the scope of that, just think, there are 2.7 million federal employees working at thousands of sites all across this country.  This can have a huge impact.

But in the end, as First Lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me.  This is a passion.  This is my mission.  I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition.

So if you all create the supply, we know there will be a demand.  And if you have any doubt about that, just look at what we did for the hula hoop.  (Laughter.)  I hula hooped.  (Laughter.)  The reality is that with so many people looking for healthier options, this isn’t just going to be a fad.  Hopefully, this is the future of food in this country. 

So I hope all of you will help support our efforts.  I hope that you’ll embrace this future, because really that’s what this industry has always done.  Just think back to the early part of the last century when food manufacturers helped pass the first major federal law establishing basic standards for our food, beverages, and drugs.  Back then, consumers had little protection against unscrupulous manufacturers who tainted their products with all sorts of chemicals and fillers.  When these abuses came to light, Congress responded, drafting the 1906 Food and Drug Act.  And instead of opposing that law and instead of viewing it as a threat, many manufacturers decided to embrace it. 

Companies like most of you that were already doing the right thing by making safe, quality products realized they stood to profit.  They also realized that increasing public trust and improving products all across the industry as a whole would benefit each of them individually. 

And today, with the issue of childhood obesity, we all face a similar opportunity.  And you face it not just as food industry leaders, but you face it as parents who love your kids and as citizens who love this nation.  And in the end, I am hopeful that you will choose to make the changes that we need not just because they’re good for your company, but because they’re good for our country. 

I know that you’ll do these things not just to fulfill your obligation to shareholders, but also because you have a sense of obligation to our children -- because the truth is, all of us are paying the cost of childhood obesity.  But the truth is also that we all will gain from addressing it once and for all. 

So I hope that all of you will do your part to give our kids the future they deserve.  I’m proud of what’s happened through this industry so far.  The work together that we’ve done has been tremendous.  All of you come to this with the right heart and the right vision and the right passion.  My only urging is that we move faster, we go farther together.  And I’m looking forward to working with you all in the months and years ahead. 

Thank you so much.  (Applause.)

END
12:04 P.M. EDT

Press Briefing on the President’s Upcoming Trip to Guam, Indonesia and Australia by Denis Mcdonough, NSC Chief of Staff, Jeff Bader, NSC Senior Director for Asian Affairs, and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications

Via Conference Call

2:20 P.M. EDT

MR. RHODES:  Thanks, everybody, for joining today.  With me is Jeff Bader, Senior Director for Asia here at the NSC, who you know well; and Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff for the NSC, as well.

I'll just give a kind of brief outline of the trip and walk you through the schedule and then turn it over to Jeff, and then we can answer your questions.

First and foremost I’d just say that this trip to Indonesia and Australia is an important opportunity to advance America's security and economic interests in a very vital part of the world.  The Asia-Pacific region is of growing importance to our interests.  And as the President said on his trip there last fall, in many ways America has been somewhat absent from the region over the last several years and we are committed to reestablishing that leadership in advance of our interests.

The Asia Pacific is fundamental to our ability to achieve some of our top priorities, whether it’s doubling exports and achieving balanced and sustainable growth or fighting terrorism and combating climate change.  In that effort, Indonesia and Australia are both essential partners to the United States.

I'll just start with Indonesia.  Of course, within Indonesia you see the convergence of many issues that are of common interest to both of our nations.  Indonesia is of course the third largest democracy in the world, has the world’s largest Muslim majority population.  And it’s also playing an increasingly important role in the international effort, such as the G20 and the effort against climate change.

They also have been a very effective partner when it comes to security issues such as fighting terrorism, as well as the President's broader efforts to advance relations with the Muslim world.  And they’re also, of course, important economic partners, an emerging economy to the United States as well.

So we want to underscore with this trip that the deepening and comprehensive partnership that we’re developing with Indonesia in the region and the world, and as well highlight Indonesia’s positive example to -- as a strong democracy, a developing economy and a committed partner on a range of issues.

So with that I'll just take you through the schedule that we currently have.  This obviously had to be adjusted as we’ve moved back the beginning portions of the trip, which you're well aware of.  But I'll go through what we currently have slotted.

The first stop on the trip for the President is in Guam.  We’ll be in Guam Monday, March 22.  And that evening, Guam time, the President will be hosting a public event where he’ll be able to speak to both our -- the community in Guam and of course some of the military personnel that the United States has in Guam.  Later in the call Dennis can field questions about this portion of the trip.

The next day, on Tuesday, the 23rd, we’ll be making our way to Indonesia.  The President will be greeted with an arrival ceremony and there will be several events associated with that arrival ceremony, which we’ll be giving you more specifics on as we get closer to the day.  But that first day he’ll have a bilateral meeting with the President of Indonesia.  And following that bilateral meeting they’ll host a joint press conference.  Then that night the President will be hosted at a state dinner by the Indonesians, which he very much looks forward to.

The following day, Wednesday, the 24th, the President will be giving a speech.  This speech, of course, will be an opportunity for him to discuss the comprehensive partnership that we’re developing with Indonesia and with the Indonesian people.  Of course this is a country that the President has personal experience in, having lived there for four years as a child; having a sister who’s half Indonesian; and his mother of course worked extensively in Indonesia for 20 years.  So he’ll be able to speak to his connections to the country.

And he’ll also be able to discuss the efforts that the United States cooperates with Indonesia on as it relates to democracy and as it relates to Indonesia’s position as a country with the world’s largest Muslim-majority population, as well as a country with a strong history of pluralism.  And in some respects it will be of course his first trip to a Muslim-majority country since he was in Egypt and delivered his speech in Cairo, so he’ll be able to speak to some of the progress that’s been made and that needs to be made on the issue that he spoke to in Cairo, as well.

The rest of that day -- we look forward to making some additional cultural stops as well as the President will be meeting with some business leaders in the region to highlight again America’s growing economic ties with Indonesia.  We believe that this can be an economic relationship that can serve our mutual interests and will be part of, of course, the President’s efforts to deepen our economic relationship across the region.

He’ll also be meeting with Indonesian parliamentary leaders as a part of his effort to, again, reach out and speak to a broad cross-section of Indonesia’s government and society.

Then we’ll be moving on to Bali.  And on Thursday, March 25th, the President will host a civil society event in Bali.  The reason that we’re choosing Bali to highlight this particular issue is that Bali is host to the Bali Democracy Forum, which is a signature initiative of the President of Indonesia’s and a very positive effort, again, to advance democracy and civil society in the region and around the world.

So President Obama will have an opportunity in Bali to meet with a group of civil society leaders in order to highlight the important role of civil society in the emergence of Indonesia’s democracy, and also how that might -- that effort might support civil society across the region.  And to that end, we’ll be inviting civil society groups from other parts of Southeast Asia as well to discuss issues related to political participation, freedom of information, and human rights, broadly speaking.

After the President is in Bali, we will move on to Canberra.  And here I’d just stop and say that, of course, Australia is increasingly -- is a longstanding ally of the United States, an increasingly important ally in both the region and the world.  In many ways it’s a model alliance for the United States.  We have very robust cooperation with the Australians on security issues, economic issues, environmental issues.  They’re obviously a close partner of us in Afghanistan, where they’ve been steadfast in their support there.  We run a very positive trade relationship with Australia that supports American jobs and supports economic prosperity for both Australians and Americans.  And of course, we’ve cooperated closely on clean energy issues and efforts to combat climate change, Australia also being a partner through the G20.  And the President will be underscoring this alliance throughout his time in Australia.

He’ll begin that night with a dinner with Prime Minister Rudd, who’s been a particularly close partner of the President’s both bilaterally on a personal basis, and also in international forums.  So the President is looking forward to the opportunity to share this time with Prime Minister Rudd in Canberra.

The next day, on Friday the 26th, we will have a very robust program of events.  The President will meet with the Governor General in the morning.  Then he will have a series of -- he’ll have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rudd, building on the work, the discussions they’ll have at dinner.  Following that bilateral meeting, we anticipate a joint press conference.

Then, as I think some of you know, the Australians have been generous enough to invite the President to address a session of the Australian parliament.  So the President will address the parliament and he’ll speak to the depth of our alliance with Australia, the 70th anniversary of that alliance, and discuss several areas in which we can deepen our partnership in security, economic and environmental issues.

After addressing the parliament, he will have the opportunity to participate in some other events to mark, again, the historic landmark of this being the anniversary of the alliance and the cooperation that we share before departing that night to return to the United States.

So we have a very busy five days in the Asia-Pacific region.  And again, I’ll just turn it over to Jeff now who can speak a little bit to the importance of the region to the United States and how Indonesia and Australia in particular are key and emerging partners for the United States on many of our top priority issues.  So, Jeff, I’ll just hand it over to you.

MR. BADER:  Thanks, Ben.  Ben covered the ground fairly thoroughly.  I’ll just add a few points.  First of all, as Ben noted, this trip is designed to highlight the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the U.S.  The members of APEC, to which Australia and Indonesia both belong, are responsible for 55 percent of global GDP and 50 percent of global trade.  And this will be the first time in at least 10 years that a President has gone to the Asia Pacific for a trip other than an APEC meeting, except for President Bush’s trip in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics.

This is a part of the world that’s marked by a number of rising powers, namely China and India; a number of existing powers, Japan and South Korea; and some emerging important countries and powers like Vietnam and Indonesia.

In the context of a region that is evolving in this fashion, where there are shifts of power and influence, the U.S. presence is a crucial stabilizing force.  It is welcomed by pretty much everyone in the region.  And it’s important for -- and that’s why the President is reaching out to one of our most important allies and one of our most important partners in the region, Australia and Indonesia.

The second point I'll highlight, which Ben also touched on, is that this trip highlights the changing global governance that we face in the world in the 21st century.  When we were in Copenhagen, we saw the decisive meeting at the end of the conference.  The players in the room were China, India, South Africa, Brazil and the United States.  This is something that wouldn’t have happened -- would not have happened 20 years ago.  And this is a -- this is a sign of the change that has occurred in the number of countries that are participating in major global decisions.

In that context there are a number of important middle powers -- middle powers, countries like Australia and Indonesia -- who are significant players on these kinds of decisions.  The G20, which is the emerging economic governance instrument -- major economic emerging governance instrument -- Australia and Indonesia are both important players in this body.

Australia has, for quite some time, I’d say punched above its weight.  Indonesia was held back for years by poverty, by governance issues, by corruption, and it is now, in the last few years, emerging and beginning to perform in the fashion that a power of that rank deserves.

Just a few words specifically on Australia and Indonesia.  Australia has been mentioned as an ally.  We have a special relationship with them.  They’ve fought in all wars with us.  Australia has lost something like 100,000 people -- 100,000 lives in wars since the First World War, which is a quite extraordinary number for a country of that size.  They have more troops in Afghanistan than any other non-NATO country -- 1,500.  And Prime Minister Rudd stepped up to the plate after the President -- after the President spoke to him and increased the Australian component by upwards of 40 percent. 

They are a major global partner on climate change, in the G20, on terrorism, on non-proliferation, on clean energy.

Indonesia, as Ben mentioned, a number of interests.  Third-largest democracy in the world.  For 12 years they’ve been a stable and impressive democracy with a history -- with a modern history of tolerance after tough times in the 1960s.  Protection of human rights has been particularly impressive.  They are a majority Muslim country, but there are other religious and ethnic groups there.  Our trip to -- our stop in Bali, Bali is a Hindu -- traditional Hindu religious center.

They are a regional and global player -- key player in ASEAN and G20 member.  And we will be announcing on this trip a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia, which was President Yudhoyono’s personal initiative, and that shows just how far the Indonesia -- how far Indonesia has moved since its earlier days of an adversarial relationship with the United States, that President Yudhoyono would feel comfortable proposing a comprehensive partnership with the United States that will cover political security issues, economic issues, and people to people.

MR. RHODES:  Thanks, Jeff.  With that, I think we’ll just move to take your questions.

Q    Thank you, gentlemen, for taking the time to brief us on this trip.  I’m wondering, outside of the comprehensive agreement, are there any deliverables -- concrete documents that you expect to sign or things you expect to bring back?  And as a quick follow-up, I’m wondering if Assistant Secretary Campbell is going on this trip, and if not, why not.  Thank you.

MR. RHODES:  Just on your first question, Josh, associated with a comprehensive partnership will be I think a series of announcements that speak to specific issues.  But we will wait until the Presidents have the opportunity to meet to address that.

What I will say is that we’ve been discussing throughout the year an advancement of our partnership with Indonesia on a series of issues that I think are, again, top priorities for both the United States and Indonesia and the region.  They’re a close economic partner through the G20 and we’re looking to deepen our ties in that regard.

As Jeff said as it related to Copenhagen, Indonesia played a -- it’s one of the world’s largest emitters, but they’ve also stepped up to the plate and played a very responsible role through the Copenhagen process and other venues on climate and energy.  And so as we’re looking in order to advance some of the ambitious targets that have been made, we’ll of course have to deepen our partnership with Indonesia and countries like it around the world.  I think they’re the fourth-largest emitter.

And then in addition to that, we’re looking to deepen our partnership in a range of areas from education to science and technology and multiple other areas of common interest.

So I think we’ll be filling in the details of the comprehensive partnership that we’re forging with Indonesia.  I think a key point here is that we will be collaborating with them across a very broad range of issues.  We of course -- we have had -- they have been a key security partner.  You’ve seen them have some very important successes actually this year through their own initiative in taking out leaders, for instance, of Jemaah Islamiyah, the al Qaeda-affiliated group in Indonesia.  So we enjoy a robust partnership with them in that respect and it’s one that we would like to carry forward.

And again, of course, as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and as an emerging democracy, we’re looking to advance in specific areas our partnership to facilitate the President’s efforts to build a new beginning with Muslim communities around the world as well as our ability to highlight democratization and the empowerment of civil society, which is why we’re going to Bali.

I don't know if Jeff wants to add anything on that.

MR. BADER:  Yes, just one point that I should have mentioned in my earlier comments.  We’ll also be highlighting trade and investment with both Indonesia and Australia on the trip.  This week there will be the first round of negotiations on the trans-Pacific partnership trade agreements in Melbourne, Australia.  So we’ll be arriving right on the heels of the first round of that.  The President spoke to his goal of moving rapidly towards agreement among the eight countries in the trans-Pacific partnership.

Indonesia is a country with whom our trade has lagged -- I think it’s something like $23 billion two-way trade.  There are obstacles to trade.  We need to do better.  We need to talk to the Indonesians about how we can make our trade with Indonesia come up to the level that it should be as it is with many of the other ASEAN countries.

MR. RHODES:  Yes, I'd just echo that last point by saying we’ll -- in both countries I think we’ll be looking to highlight the export potential for the United States, which is of course a part of the President’s commitment to doubling exports.  We run a positive trade balance with Australia that, again, supports U.S. jobs, and we want to be deepening those partnerships because, as the President has done, has laid out a very aggressive and ambitious export agenda.  We believe that the Asia-Pacific region, broadly speaking, will be critical to our success in that regard.

On your second question, Josh, I anticipate the Assistant Secretary will be coming on the trip.

Q    Thank you very much for taking my call.  I’m calling from the National Education Association and we have relations and projects that we share in common with the PGRI education union of Indonesia with its 2.3 million members, as well as with the Australian education union, both of which serve public education.  I’m interested in the plans for discussion on education, and also specifically with the Bali Democracy Forum.  Is there plans to discuss specifically student assessment as well as quality training and professional development for teachers?  Thank you.

MR. RHODES:  I appreciate the call and I think there’s probably more consultation that we can provide through direct contact with you all, but what I will say is -- again, I don’t want to preview announcements, but I do think that we are looking to expand and deepen our educational relationship with Indonesia.  The President I think believes strongly in the value of international educational exchange as a tool of deepening our engagement in a way that serves our people and people throughout the world.

At the back end of the Cairo speech, for instance, I think he spoke about the value of educational exchanges and other educational programs that have been a key component, really, of American leadership around the world for many decades.  So I think you’ll see he -- speaking to a deeper educational partnership with Indonesia.

As it relates to the civil society efforts, I believe we’ll be looking at a range of ways that we can empower civil society around the world, quite frankly.  They play a key role, civil society does, in Indonesia -- a very robust democracy -- a very positive role.  And civil society is often on the front lines of the effort to advance democracy, to combat corruption, to support the rule of law, to speak out for people’s rights.

So we’ll be wanting to explore ways in which the United States can support those efforts, can support the kind of efforts that Indonesia is leading by taking on the Bali Democracy Forum.

So some of your -- the more specific concerns I think we can probably best address directly, but I do think, again, education and civil society will be key parts of the kind of partnership that we’re developing with the Indonesians.

Q    Thank you.  You said the President wants to highlight the fact that the U.S. enjoys a trade surplus with Australia.  Could you say which areas the President is thinking of in particular, and which sectors would the Obama administration like to see an expansion of trade, in light of the free trade agreement between the two countries?

MR. RHODES:  I’ll just say a few words, and then Jeff will I think want to jump in.

I think what he’ll be wanting to highlight is just the fact that it’s a very robust and mutually beneficial trade relationship that, again, speaks to the kind of deepening partnerships that we’d like to have around -- across the region.  And of course, we believe that that is fundamental to both a healthy and growing American economy and Australian economy.

As it relates to sectors -- Jeff may speak to this -- I’ll just say, to start off, that clean energy is an area where both I think Prime Minister Rudd and President Obama recognize that there is a growth potential.  So that’s a particular area.  But I think more broadly speaking, whether it’s the trade -- robust trade relationship we have and the efforts we’re exploring through the TPP, we’re looking to frankly build upon the success of the U.S.-Australian relationship, both bilaterally and across the region.

So Jeff, you might want to --

MR. BADER:  All I’d add is that the U.S. and Australia both have very open markets, and in that sense --- that’s what we’re highlighting rather than the fact that the U.S. has a surplus.  The surplus is a reflection of the wishes of consumers and companies on both sides, not a managed outcome.

As for specific sectors, Australia’s got great beef, but we want to make sure that there are not obstacles to the import of U.S. beef.  They also -- the aviation sector is one where the U.S. has found good customers in Australia in the past.  Those are two that I would particularly mention, in addition to the ones that Ben mentioned.

Q    Thank you.  Which events do you expect the President to be focusing on energy and climate issues?  And more specifically, do you expect with the address to the Australian parliament he will be focusing on those issues, given the difficulty in passing climate legislation there?

MR. RHODES:  Sure, I’ll just begin by saying that I expect that this will be a subject for both of his bilateral meetings on this trip.  So the bilateral meeting with the President of Indonesia will certainly have a component that focuses on energy and climate issues.  Similarly, the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rudd, I’d expect this to be an issue that together they address.  And so to the extent to which the President will be reading out those meetings and following through both his public remarks, press conferences and in speeches, I think this will be a subject that he’ll be addressing throughout the trip.

And again I'd just underscore points that Jeff made, which is that climate -- our climate initiatives, particularly some of the commitments captured at Copenhagen, will demand very broad international cooperation, and it will demand, again, close coordination with countries like Indonesia that are increasingly playing a responsible role in this area, as well as countries like Australia that have deliberately and very productively sought out a positive role in international climate forums.

And we also frankly believe that clean energy holds out great economic potential, and we continue to believe that there’s great job creation potential and the development of clean energy partnerships with emerging economies like Indonesia and close trading partners like Australia.  So we’ll be speaking to the economic potential of partnership in this area, as well. 

But I don't know if you have much to --

MR. BADER:  Just a point -- just one point.  The President of the United States admires Prime Minister Rudd’s leadership on the climate change issue both in the run-up to Copenhagen, in being one of the leaders in coming up with the idea of a “political agreement,” which ultimately allowed us to achieve consensus in Copenhagen.  And he’s also the creator of a carbon capture and storage institute.  The President was pleased to be present in Italy when the inauguration of this institute was announced and to be a founding member.

Q    Hi, thanks.  Obviously when you’re talking about issues like economics and trade in Asia, the unspoken player apart from the U.S. is China.  Will the President at any stage of his trip bring up the current tensions with China?  Do they have an implication for the sort of success of the effort to expand U.S. ties in Asia-Pacific region?  And can you comment on Premier Wen Jiabao’s remarks yesterday in which he put the blame for the deterioration of the relationship down to the U.S.?

MR. BADER:  Well, we have a mature relationship with China.  There are -- it is steady in its objectives.  I think that the relationship is in good shape.  We have a number of areas of difference and we’re talking about them, but I would not describe it as a relationship of tension.

We will be talking about a number of third-country issues on the trip, I’m sure.  We will be talking about -- I'm sure we’ll be talking about Afghanistan, Afghanistan/Pakistan.  We will I’m sure be talking about Iran.  It’s impossible to go to Asia and for the subject of China not to arise.  So certainly Prime Minister Rudd is deeply knowledgeable on the subject, has much insight.  So I certainly expect that that is a subject we’ll discuss.

And our perceptions of China are fairly similar to those of Australia.  We both see China’s emergence as a major economy, a driving economy in the world, as offering great potential to both our countries -- potential for growth, potential for prosperity of our citizens.  We’re also looking to reshape the international regulatory systems through the G20 in a way that ensures that new actors, such as China, are acting consistent with international norms.

As for Wen Jiabao’s comments, he was talking about currency -- I think I’d leave those to the -- that’s the Secretary of Treasury’s domain, so I don’t think I’ll go there today.

MR. RHODES:  Yes, the only thing I’d add to what Jeff said is that this is obviously our second trip to the region; the last time we traveled to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea.  And again, as Jeff said in his opening comments, we believe that it’s very important that the Asia-Pacific region is fundamental to the economic and security interests of the United States in the 21st century, and that in order to effectively advance those interests, we need to deepen and broaden our engagement and our leadership in the region, which is why we’ve taken a more -- we’ve taken a more aggressive role in engaging groups that APEC and ASEAN, and it’s why we set out to go -- to travel to Indonesia and Australia; to, again, build partnerships that we believe will be fundamental to our ability to deal with our top-priority issues.

And to ours -- to those press like you, Steven, who’ve followed us through the year, I think one thing you can look to on this trip is we laid down a framework for how we deal with a set of issues last year:  terrorism, energy and climate, achieving balance and sustainable growth, and of course nuclear proliferation.  And I think what you’ll see in this trip is that the issues that we’re addressing through these partnerships are very much in line with our broader international priorities.  So we’ll be discussing our deepening -- our deep counterterrorism cooperation in both stops.  As Jeff said, Afghanistan -- Australia is a key partner with us in Afghanistan, and again, Indonesia has had some successes in some of the global pressure that’s been applied to al Qaeda and its affiliates this year.

We’ll be following up on Copenhagen, building on a momentum that we generated last year, to implement this commitment through our partnerships with countries like Indonesia and Australia.

And we’ll be following up on the balance of sustainable growth agenda that came out of the G20’s efforts last year, which was an unprecedented international economic collaboration.  But it’s going to demand sustained action by major economies in order to ensure that the global recovery is sustained.

So I’d just highlight that to point out that the President sees China, of course, as a fundamental -- fundamentally important bilateral relationship as it relates to advancing these interests, but he also believes it’s very important to have not just the bedrock of our strong alliances in the world but also developing partnerships with countries like Indonesia as well, which will be fundamental to our ability to advance our mutual interests.

So to that end, we believe that these relationships are absolutely critical.

Q    Has there been progress to include the training of Kopassus Special Forces as part of the military component of the comprehensive partnership? 

And number two, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said that it’s disappointed by growing protectionism on the part of Indonesia.  Will the administration express this disappointment?  Thank you.

MR. BADER:  First on Kopassus, as you know, there was a delegation from Kopassus, the counterterrorism -- the Special Forces component of the Indonesian military, in Washington last week.  They met with administration officials.  We have a very good cooperation with the Indonesian government on counterterrorism issues.  It would be good if we could move to full cooperation, fuller cooperation, to include the Special Forces -- the counterterrorism capabilities within the special forces of Kopassus.

There is a certain history that needs to be overcome.  There were human rights violations in the 1990s in former East Timor.  We have been talking to the Indonesians and to the Indonesian government and to Kopassus, and we hope to be able, at some point, to move past and resolve those concerns.  I can’t predict at this point when that -- when that day might arrive, but we have been talking to the Indonesian government about it.

And the second question:  The President, in his discussions with President Yudhoyono, will, I am fairly confident, talk about the kinds of things that we hope will be done so that our trade relationship can achieve its full potential, including removing the -- moving expeditiously to remove access -- market access barriers that the Chamber of Commerce highlighted that you just mentioned.

Q    Steve literally took the words right out of my mouth.  I appreciate the question, Steve, and I also appreciate the answer.  Thank you.

MR. McDONOUGH:  I would just add one thing to Jeff’s comments about Kopassus.  Obviously as we’ve been in discussions with our Indonesian partners, we’ve also been in close discussions with Congress and consultation with Congress on this matter so that when we are in a position to move forward on it we’re in a position to have a unified posture across the branches of the U.S. government on this important issue.

Q    Hi, thanks for the call, guys.  I think this question is for Denis -- a question on Guam.  In addition to speaking to the Guam community and service members, what message is trying to be sent to the Pacific region overall and to Japan and China specifically with that?  Thanks.

MR. McDONOUGH:  Thanks.  Well, obviously the President’s decision to visit Guam now demonstrates a commitment to underscore our -- obviously our responsibilities in Guam in the first instance, and underscores a very visible presence of the United States in this vital region, as both Jeff and Ben have outlined.

While there he’ll not only visit with commanders but also with local Guam authorities.  And he’s going to make sure that we have a very realistic and sustainable and well thought out approach to Guam.  He has a vision which we refer to here as “one Guam, green Guam,” which is apropos of many of the questions heretofore, designed to make sure that we’re investing in capabilities on Guam that are sustainable over the course of time, that are clean energy focused, that do take very concrete steps to reduce the high price of energy on the island, and obviously will lead to an end state that’s politically, operationally, and environmentally sustainable.

So the President, while there, will also take a hard look at the project and infrastructure needs on Guam.  We’ll obviously be looking at base-related construction that must take into accounts the needs of not only of an increased troop presence or Marine presence, but also the needs of the people of Guam, the impact on the environment, and the important role that the United States plays within the region.

So I wouldn’t read a particular set of -- just to respond to the last part of your question -- I wouldn’t read a specific or even general message to Japan or to China into the stop; I’d rather just make clear that we have a commitment to the people of Guam, and that as part of our ongoing plan for our presence in the region, are going to make very common-sense and important investments in the infrastructure there.

Q    Question for both Jeff and Denis, if I could indulge you.  Obviously we all understand the mantra about Treasury and currency -- no argument there.  But surely the President himself has raised the fundamental issues often enough, and the events over the last few days certainly seem to indicate that the currency issue is becoming a fundamental relationship management problem.  And I’m wondering if this issue will be on the discussion agenda with Prime Minister Rudd.  Is it perhaps too soon to be talking about coordinated action or coordinated reaction?  I think we’re all interested to know, aren’t we moving past the point where it’s just a Treasury management issue?  Thanks.

MR. BADER:  You thought I was kidding when I said this was an answer for Secretary Geithner.  I wasn’t.

MR. McDONOUGH:  Let me vigorously agree with Jeff; reference of the question to the Department of Treasury.

MR. RHODES:  Well, thanks, everybody, for joining the call and, again, we look forward to a very important and packed schedule for these five days in the Pacific region and look forward to seeing some of you there.  And we’ll provide you with any more detail as it becomes locked and look forward to fielding your requests.

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3:02 P.M. EDT