Presidential politics

The President Donates Nobel Prize Money to Charity

WASHINGTON – President Obama today announced the charities that will receive a portion of the $1.4 million award that comes with the Nobel peace prize.

“These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need,” said President Obama. “I’m proud to support their work.”

List of Charities

$250,000 to Fisher House

Fisher House is a national non-profit organization that provides housing for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.

$200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, President Obama asked former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to create the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund to raise funds for long-term relief efforts in Haiti.

$125,000 to College Summit

College Summit is a national non-profit organization that partners with high schools to strengthen college-going culture and increase college enrollment rates, so that all students graduate from high school career and college-ready.

$125,000 to the Posse Foundation

The Posse Foundation is a national non-profit organization that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse’s college and university partners award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent.

$125,000 to the United Negro College Fund

The United Negro College Fund plays a critical role in enabling more than 60,000 students each year to attend college through scholarship and internship programs.

$125,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. In its 34 year history, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded close to $280M in scholarships to more than 90,000 students in need.

$125,000 to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation

A non-profit organization funded by foundations and companies, ALEF supports and enables young men and women from Appalachia to pursue higher education though scholarship and leadership curriculum.

$125,000 to the American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund transforms Indian higher education by funding and creating awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills, and cultural values which enhance their communities and the country as a whole. The Fund disburses approximately 6,000 scholarships annually for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through higher education. The Fund also provides support for tribal college needs, ranging from capital support to cultural preservation curricula.

$100,000 to AfriCare

AfriCare was founded in 1970 and has more projects in Africa than any other U.S. based charity, reaching communities in 25 countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Its programs address needs in three principal areas: health and HIV/AIDS; food security and agriculture; and water resource development.

$100,000 to the Central Asia Institute

The Central Asia Institute promotes and supports community-based education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The Institute’s co-founder, Greg Mortenson, was also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee this year, whose book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time, recounts his attempt to successfully establish dozens of schools and promote girls’ education in rural Afghanistan and Pakistan.

** This release has been corrected.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 3/11/10

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the President’s Export Council:

W. James McNerney, Jr., Chair, President’s Export Council Ursula M. Burns, Vice Chair, President’s Export Council

President Obama said, “Jim and Ursula are tremendously talented and experienced, and I am grateful that they have chosen to serve in these important roles as we work to strengthen our economy and create good jobs by boosting our exports. I look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the President’s Export Council:

W. James McNerney, Jr., Appointee for Chair, President’s Export Council
W. James McNerney, Jr., is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Boeing Company. Previously, he served as Chairman and CEO of 3M, President and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines and GE Lighting; President of GE Asia-Pacific; President and CEO of GE Electrical Distribution and Control; executive Vice President of GE Capital; and President of GE Information Services. Prior to GE, Mr. McNerney worked at Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Co., Inc. Mr. McNerney is currently on the Board of Directors for Procter & Gamble and IBM, a member of The Field Museum Board of Trustees in Chicago, a trustee of Northwestern University, and a member of the Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Board. He also serves on The Business Roundtable, and is the former chair of The Business Council, the US-China Business Council, and the American Society of Corporate Executives. Mr. McNerney is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an honorary fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.  He earned his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1975 and B.A. from Yale University in 1971.

Ursula M. Burns, Appointee for Vice Chair, President’s Export Council
Ursula M. Burns is the Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation. She joined Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical engineer summer intern and later assumed roles in product development and planning. From 1992 through 2000, Ms. Burns led several business teams including the office color and fax business and office network printing business. In 2000, she was named senior vice president, Corporate Strategic Services, heading up manufacturing and supply chain operations. She then took on the broader role of leading Xerox's global research as well as product development, marketing and delivery. In April 2007, Ms. Burns was named president of Xerox, expanding her leadership to also include the company's IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. At that time, she was also elected a member of the company's Board of Directors. Ms. Burns was named chief executive officer in July 2009. She serves on a number of professional and community boards, including American Express Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was also named to help lead the White House national program on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in November 2009. Ms. Burns earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University.

Remarks by the President at the Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference

11:30 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  And thank you, John, for that generous introduction.  Congratulations to you and Fabienne and Luis for the recognition your companies so richly deserve.  And thank you to the Chairman of the Export-Import Bank, Fred Hochberg, for having me here today, and for all the important work the Ex-Im Bank is doing to help American businesses sell their ideas to the world.  I also want to recognize the Secretary General of the OECD, Angel Gurría, for his leadership at that institution.  (Applause.)

Let me also acknowledge some members of my economic team who are here today –- my Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, who’s just returned from a trip to Brazil.  Where are you, Gary?  There he is, right here.  (Applause.)  Our U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Ron Kirk, who’s been putting in a lot of miles.  (Applause.)  They are both doing a great job in the work of moving this country forward in tough times.

Now, it has been our most pressing priority over the first year of my administration to deal with an unprecedented economic crisis -- one that has been as serious as anything since the Great Depression.  To do that required difficult and sometimes unpopular steps to rescue our financial system and to jumpstart an economic recovery.  But we took those steps.  And because we did, we can stand here just over a year later, and say that we prevented another depression, we broke the back of the recession, and the economy that was shrinking a year ago is growing today.

What’s also clear is that we’ve got a long way to go.  More than 8 million Americans have lost their jobs since the start of the recession.  Millions more remain underemployed, including those doing part-time work or odd jobs.  And the middle class across this country has felt their economic security eroding for longer than they care to remember.  That’s why we continue to do everything we can to foster private sector job creation and to restore some sense of security.

But the fact is, if we want to once again approach full employment; if we want to create broad, shared, and lasting wealth for our workers and our families; if we want an America that is ready to compete on the global playing field in the 21st century –- then we can’t slide back into an economy where we borrow too much and put off tough challenges.  We can’t return to an economy where too much of our prosperity is based on fleeting bubbles and rampant speculation.  We have to rebuild our economy on a new, stronger, more balanced foundation for the future –- a foundation that will advance the American people’s prosperity at home, and support American leadership in the world.

And that’s precisely what we’ve begun to do.  We’re catalyzing a new clean energy industry that has the potential to employ millions of workers in good jobs.  We’re investing in the skills and education of our workers, and reforming our education system with a goal to once again lead the world in the proportion of college graduates by the end of this decade.  We’re building a better health care system that works for our people, our businesses, and our government alike.  We’re establishing clear, common-sense rules of the road for Wall Street that encourage innovation and creativity instead of recklessness and irresponsibility; rules that prevent firms from taking risks that threaten to bring down the entire economy.  And we are rebuilding an economy where we generate more American jobs in more American industries by producing and exporting more goods and services to other nations. 

Now, in my State of the Union address I set a goal of doubling America’s exports over the next five years -– an increase that will support 2 million American jobs.  And I’ve come to the Export-Import Bank Conference today to discuss the initial steps that we’re taking to achieve that goal.

I know the issue of exports and imports, the issue of trade and globalization, have long evoked the passions of a lot of people in this country.  I know there are differences of opinion between Democrats and Republicans, between business and labor, about the right approach.  But I also know we are at a moment where it is absolutely necessary for us to get beyond those old debates. 

Those who would once support every free trade agreement now see that other countries have to play fair and the agreements have to be enforced.  Otherwise we're putting America at a profound disadvantage.  Those who once would once oppose any trade agreement now understand that there are new markets and new sectors out there that we need to break into if we want our workers to get ahead.

And meanwhile, if you ask the average American what trade has offered them, they won’t say that their televisions are cheaper, or productivity is higher.  They’d say they’ve seen the plant across town shut down, jobs dry up, communities deteriorate.  And you can’t blame them for feeling that way.  The fact is other countries haven’t always played by the same set of rules.  America hasn’t always enforced our trade rights, or made sure that the benefits of trade are broadly shared.  And we haven’t always done enough to help our workers adapt to a changing world.

Now, there’s no question that as we compete in the global marketplace, we’ve got to look out for our workers.  But to look out for our workers, we’ve got to be able to compete in the global marketplace.  It’s never been as important an opportunity for America as it is right now.

In a time when millions of Americans are out of work, boosting our exports is a short-term imperative.  Our exports support millions of American jobs.  You know this well.  In 2008, we exported more than $1 trillion of manufactured goods, supporting more than one in five manufacturing jobs -– and those jobs, by the way, pay about 15 percent more than average.  We led the world in service exports, which support 2.8 million jobs.  We exported nearly $100 billion in agricultural goods.  And every $1 billion increase in exports supports more than 6,000 additional jobs. 

So it’s critical in the short term, but it’s also critical for our long-term prosperity.  Ninety-five percent of the world’s customers and the world’s fastest-growing markets are outside our borders.  We need to compete for those customers because other nations are competing for them. 

They’re investing in the skills and education of their people.  They’re investing in the high-demand industries of the future.  They’ve benefited from American consumers.  They’ve made themselves into export-based economies, and positioned themselves for the jobs of the future.  They’re pursuing trade agreements with growing markets –- and those agreements would give their companies access to those markets and put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage.

So if we stand on the sidelines while they go after those customers, we’ll lose out on the chance to create the good jobs our workers need right here at home.  That’s why standing on the sidelines is not what we intend to do.  We need to remind ourselves, we still have the most innovative economy in the world.  We still have the most productive workers in the world.  We have the finest universities in the world.  We have the most dynamic and competitive markets in the world.

We remain the number one exporter of goods and services in the world.  So we’ve got a terrific foundation to build on.  But we can’t be satisfied with being number one right now.  We shouldn’t assume that our leadership is guaranteed.  When other markets are growing, and other nations are competing, we’ve got to get even better.  We need to secure our companies a level playing field.  We need to guarantee American workers a fair shake.  In other words, we need to up our game. 

And that’s why, for the first time, the United States of America is launching a single, comprehensive strategy to promote American exports.  It’s called the National Export Initiative, and it’s an ambitious effort to marshal the full resources of the United States government behind American businesses that sell their goods and services abroad. 

This morning, I signed an executive order instructing the federal government to use every available federal resource in support of that mission.  That order has created an Export Promotion Cabinet, made up of the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor, along with our USTR, our Small Business Administrator, the Export-Import Bank President, and other senior U.S. officials whose work impacts exports.  That cabinet will convene its first meeting next month. 

I’ve also re-launched the President’s Export Council, the principal national advisory committee on international trade.  And I named Jim McNerney, the President and CEO of Boeing, as its chair, with Ursula Burns, the CEO of Xerox, as vice chair, and I look forward to their recommendations.

Let me talk a little bit about what the National Export Initiative will do.  First, we will substantially increase access to trade financing for businesses that want to export their goods but just need a boost –- especially small businesses and medium-sized businesses.

Some of the biggest factors limiting a firm’s decisions to export are the high upfront costs of establishing a foothold in a new market, and the ability of the customers in that market to finance the purchase of their products.

So during the financial crisis, as trade finance dried up, the Export-Import Bank lived up to its mission and stepped up to fill the void.  In fiscal year 2009, as part of a broader effort of G20 nations to mobilize trade financing worldwide, this institution authorized $21 billion in loans in support of American exports –- that’s an increase of nearly 50 percent over the previous year.  So I applaud Fred’s efforts to increase that pace with the authorization of about $10 billion more in the first quarter of this year alone.  And under the National Export Initiative, we’ll continue to increase the amount of trade financing Ex-Im offers, including a new $2 billion per year effort to increase support for our small and medium-sized businesses.

But another obstacle that our exporters face is that the federal government frankly just hasn’t done a good enough job advocating for them abroad -- at least compared to the advocacy that other countries are engaging in.  And that’s why, as the second part of the National Export Initiative, the United States of America will go to bat for our businesses and our workers.

As an example, last week, I signed the Travel Promotion Act, a law that will establish active promotion and marketing efforts to encourage foreign citizens to come visit the most dynamic cities, the most entertaining destinations, and the most beautiful natural resources in the world.  Well, that same principle applies for all of our businesses.  We’ve got some of the most innovative companies in the world –- and we should be advocating on their behalf to boost local economies and create jobs here.

This is an effort I will personally lead as President.  Next week, I’ll take my second trip to the Asia Pacific –- a region that will be fundamental to America’s ability to create jobs and to thrive in the 21st century.  We can’t be on the sidelines -– we have to lead, and our engagement has to extend to governments and businesses and peoples across the Pacific.  So while I’m there, I’ll visit Indonesia and Australia, two vibrant economies and democracies that will be critical partners for the United States.  And in both countries, I’ll highlight the role that American businesses play there, and underscore how strong economic partnerships can create jobs on both sides of the Pacific while advancing both regional and global prosperity.  Going forward, I will be a strong and steady advocate for our workers and our companies abroad.

And this effort will extend throughout my administration.  Secretary Locke is issuing guidance to all senior government officials who have foreign counterparts on how they can best promote our exports.  Secretary Clinton is mobilizing a commercial diplomacy strategy, directing every one of our embassies to create a senior visitors business liaison who will manage our export advocacy efforts locally, and when our ambassadors return stateside, we’ll ask them to travel the United States to discuss export opportunities in their countries of assignment. 

We’re also announcing more than 40 trade and reverse trade missions that are scheduled for this year.  The Department of Commerce, for example, has sent a trade mission to India this week; Secretary Vilsack is off to Japan on April 15th.  So advocacy is going to be critical.

Third, we’ll unleash a battery of comprehensive and coordinated efforts to promote new markets and new opportunities for American exporters.

Many businesses want to export their products but just don’t have the resources required to identify new markets or set up shop overseas.  And that’s where we can help.  We’ll bring together the Ex-Im Bank, the SBA, the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, and the Trade Development Agency to set up one-stop shops across the country and in our 250 embassies and consulates abroad, to help American businesses gain a foothold in the fastest-growing markets with the most demand.  And we’ll provide a comprehensive toolkit of services –- from financing to counseling to promotion –- to help potential exporters grow and expand. 

We’ll create public-private partnerships to help firms break into new markets with the help of those who have been there –- shipping and supply-chain companies, for example.  And we’ll increase funding for existing promotion efforts.  We’ll increase funding for the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce, and strengthen the USDA’s ability to connect farmers with new overseas markets.

So we’re going to increase financing, advocacy, and assistance for American businesses to locate, set up shop, and win new markets.  Those are the first three aims of the National Export Initiative.

The fourth focuses on making sure American companies have free and fair access to those markets.  And that begins by enforcing trade agreements we already have on the books.

When I ran for President, I promised that when the United States of America puts its name to an agreement, that agreement will be as good for workers as it is for businesses, including strong labor and environmental protections that we’ll enforce.  My administration is living up to that promise.  Ambassador Kirk has been doing an extraordinary job as our United States Trade Representative, and he’s been working to knock down barriers that unfairly keep American companies from markets we belong in, hold our trade partners to their labor and environmental obligations, and crack down on practices that blatantly harm our companies.

But keep in mind, the United States offers some of the world’s lowest barriers to trade.  That’s why we can often get more out of a trade deal, because our borders are largely already open.  And when we give other countries the privilege of that free and fair access, we can expect it in return.  That’s the spirit in which we’ll move forward. 

So we’re going to continue to work towards an ambitious and a balanced Doha agreement -– not just for the sake of any agreement, but for one that enhances market access for American agriculture and goods and services.  We’re going to strengthen relations with key partners, specifically South Korea, Panama, Colombia, with the goal of moving forward with existing agreements in a way that upholds our values.  And we will pursue negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership that we launched last year with some of the most dynamic economies in Asia -– negotiations that I believe will result in a new standard for 21st century trade agreements that aren’t just good for workers, businesses, and farmers, but also consistent with our most cherished values. 

What’s more, we’re going to aggressively protect our intellectual property.  Our single greatest asset is the innovation and the ingenuity and creativity of the American people.  It is essential to our prosperity and it will only become more so in this century.  But it’s only a competitive advantage if our companies know that someone else can’t just steal that idea and duplicate it with cheaper inputs and labor.  There’s nothing wrong with other people using our technologies, we welcome it –- we just want to make sure that it’s licensed, and that American businesses are getting paid appropriately.  That’s why USTR is using the full arsenal of tools available to crack down on practices that blatantly harm our businesses, and that includes negotiating proper protections and enforcing our existing agreements, and moving forward on new agreements, including the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

We’ll also work within the G20 to continue global recovery and growth.  Last year, when the G20 met to coordinate the international response to our global economic crisis, we agreed that in order for that growth to continue, we needed to rebalance our economies.  For too long, America served as the consumer engine for the entire world.  But we’re rebalancing.  We are now saving more.  And that means that everybody has got to rebalance.  Countries with external deficits need to save and export more.  Countries with external surpluses need to boost consumption and domestic demand.  And as I’ve said before, China moving to a more market-oriented exchange rate will make an essential contribution to that global rebalancing effort. 

I want to commend Secretary Tim Geithner for his extraordinary work and his tremendous leadership throughout this past year within the G20.  And I know he’ll keep encouraging other nations to rebalance global demand -- and those are efforts that will be good for our exports, good for our job growth, good for the world economy as a whole.

Finally, we’re working to reform our Export Control System for our strategic, high-tech industries, which will strengthen our national security.  What we want to do is concentrate our efforts on enforcing controls on the export of our most critical technologies, making America safer while enhancing the competitiveness of key American industries.  We’ve conducted a broad review of the Export Control System, and Secretary Gates will outline our reform proposal within the next couple of weeks.  But today, I’d like to announce two steps that we’re prepared to take.

First, we’re going to streamline the process certain companies need to go through to get their products to market -– products with encryption capabilities like cell phone and network storage devices.  Right now, they endure a technical review that can take between 30 and 60 days, and that puts that company at a distinct disadvantage to foreign competitors who don’t face those same delays.  So a new one-time online process will shorten that review time from 30 days to 30 minutes, and that makes it quicker and easier for our businesses to compete while meeting our national security requirements.

And second, we’re going to eliminate unnecessary obstacles for exporting products to companies with dual-national and third-country-national employees.  Currently, our exporters and foreign consumers of these goods have to comply with two different, conflicting set of standards.  They’re running on two tracks, when they could be running just on one.  So we’re moving towards harmonizing those standards and making it easier for American and foreign companies to comply with our requirements without diminishing our security.  And I look forward to consulting with Congress on these reforms, as well as broader export control reform efforts.

So that’s how we’re going to double our exports, open up new markets, and level the playing field for American businesses and American workers.  I have every confidence that we can success in this effort.  I have every confidence that we will succeed in this effort.

This is a difficult time for our country.  And in times like these, questions have always arisen about whether or not America’s best days are behind us.  That’s standard fare.  It happens every so often.  There have always been naysayers and skeptics.  There were always those who’ve waxed fatalistic, fearing that we lacked the capacity to adapt, to succeed –- at times even to survive –- in a changing world. 

But what makes America great, what continues to make America the envy of our competitors, what makes this a place where people come not just to invest but to start lives and businesses and families, is something that has been inexorable and enduring, especially in times of great challenge and great change.  It’s that spirit of adventurousness and entrepreneurship that has for generations turned wild-eyed tinkerers into world-changing entrepreneurs; that led us westward and skyward; that led to roads and railways cutting through wilderness, and ships and planes and fiber optic lines carrying American goods and services around the world.  It’s the spirit that has advanced America’s leadership in the world and held aloft the American Dream for generations.  And it is, ultimately, that spirit that’s given us the tools and the toughness to overcome every obstacle and adapt to every circumstance –- and today is no different.

It hasn’t always been easy.  Our success is by no means guaranteed.  But if we summon a sense of national purpose equal to the seriousness of these times; if we combine our creativity, our innovation, and our eternal optimism; if we come together in common cause as we have so many times before –- we will succeed.  We will define our destiny once again.  And we will make this century another American Century -- with your help.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

END
11:55 A.M. EST

Executive Order - National Export Initiative

EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Export Enhancement Act of 1992, Public Law 102-429, 106 Stat. 2186, and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, in order to enhance and coordinate Federal efforts to facilitate the creation of jobs in the United States through the promotion of exports, and to ensure the effective use of Federal resources in support of these goals, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. The economic and financial crisis has led to the loss of millions of U.S. jobs, and while the economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, millions of Americans remain unemployed or underemployed. Creating jobs in the United States and ensuring a return to sustainable economic growth is the top priority for my Administration. A critical component of stimulating economic growth in the United States is ensuring that U.S. businesses can actively participate in international markets by increasing their exports of goods, services, and agricultural products. Improved export performance will, in turn, create good high-paying jobs.

The National Export Initiative (NEI) shall be an Administration initiative to improve conditions that directly affect the private sector's ability to export. The NEI will help meet my Administration's goal of doubling exports over the next 5 years by working to remove trade barriers abroad, by helping firms -- especially small businesses -- overcome the hurdles to entering new export markets, by assisting with financing, and in general by pursuing a Government-wide approach to export advocacy abroad, among other steps.

Sec. 2. Export Promotion Cabinet. There is established an Export Promotion Cabinet to develop and coordinate the implementation of the NEI. The Export Promotion Cabinet shall consist of:

(a) the Secretary of State;
(b) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(c) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(d) the Secretary of Commerce;
(e) the Secretary of Labor;
(f) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(g) the United States Trade Representative;
(h) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;
(i) the National Security Advisor;
(j) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(k) the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
(l) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
(m) the President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation;
(n) the Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency; and
(o) the heads of other executive branch departments, agencies, and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

The Export Promotion Cabinet shall meet periodically and report to the President on the progress of the NEI. A member of the Export Promotion Cabinet may designate, to perform the NEI-related functions of that member, a senior official from the member's department or agency who is a full-time officer or employee. The Export Promotion Cabinet may also establish subgroups consisting of its members or their designees, and, as appropriate, representatives of other departments and agencies. The Export Promotion Cabinet shall coordinate with the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), established by Executive Order 12870 of September 30, 1993.

Sec. 3. National Export Initiative. The NEI shall address the following:

(a) Exports by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Members of the Export Promotion Cabinet shall develop programs, in consultation with the TPCC, designed to enhance export assistance to SMEs, including programs that improve information and other technical assistance to first-time exporters and assist current exporters in identifying new export opportunities in international markets.
(b) Federal Export Assistance. Members of the Export Promotion Cabinet, in consultation with the TPCC, shall promote Federal resources currently available to assist exports by U.S. companies.
(c) Trade Missions. The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the TPCC and, to the extent possible, with State and local government officials and the private sector, shall ensure that U.S. Government-led trade missions effectively promote exports by U.S. companies.
(d) Commercial Advocacy. Members of the Export Promotion Cabinet, in consultation with other departments and agencies and in coordination with the Advocacy Center at the Department of Commerce, shall take steps to ensure that the Federal Government's commercial advocacy effectively promotes exports by U.S. companies.
(e) Increasing Export Credit. The President of the Export-Import Bank, in consultation with other members of the Export Promotion Cabinet, shall take steps to increase the availability of credit to SMEs.
(f) Macroeconomic Rebalancing. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with other members of the Export Promotion Cabinet, shall promote balanced and strong growth in the global economy through the G20 Financial Ministers' process or other appropriate mechanisms.
(g) Reducing Barriers to Trade. The United States Trade Representative, in consultation with other members of the Export Promotion Cabinet, shall take steps to improve market access overseas for our manufacturers, farmers, and service providers by actively opening new markets, reducing significant trade barriers, and robustly enforcing our trade agreements.
(h) Export Promotion of Services. Members of the Export Promotion Cabinet shall develop a framework for promoting services trade, including the necessary policy and export promotion tools.

Sec. 4. Report to the President. Not later than 180 days after the date of this order, the Export Promotion Cabinet, through the TPCC, shall provide the President a comprehensive plan to carry out the goals of the NEI. The Chairman of the TPCC shall set forth the steps taken to implement this plan in the annual report to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives required by the Export Enhancement Act of 1992, Public Law 102-249, 106 Stat. 2186, and Executive Order 12870, as amended.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof, or the status of that department or agency within the Federal Government; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 11, 2010.

Remarks by the President at Grassroots Fundraising Reception for Senator McCaskill

Renaissance Grand Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

7:25 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  What’s going on, St. Louis?  (Applause.)  Thank you!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in Missouri.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Obama!  Obama!  Obama!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, guys.  Thank you.  I got the same reception when I went to the Republican caucus.  (Laughter.)  They were chanting and cheering.  (Laughter.)  You don't remember that?

Give it up for Governor Jay Nixon, one of the finest governors in the country.  (Applause.)  Give it up for Mayor Francis Slay, who’s in the house.  (Applause.)  He’s around here somewhere.  There he is over there.

And give it up for my dear, dear friend, Claire McCaskill. (Applause.)  I love Claire McCaskill.  Love, love Claire McCaskill.  Now, Claire and I both agree it’s nice to get out of Washington once in a while.  (Laughter.)  Now, don't --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Come more often!

THE PRESIDENT:  I'm going to.  (Laughter.)  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of nice things about Washington.  I like the monuments --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  How is the house?

THE PRESIDENT:  House is okay.  (Laughter.)  It’s got a bowling alley.  What?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  How’s your bowling?

THE PRESIDENT:  My bowling has not gotten any better.  (Laughter.)  But here’s the thing about Washington --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Laughter.)  I love you back.  (Applause.)

But here’s the thing about Washington.  Look, it’s a town where everybody is spending all their time worrying about staying reelected, what’s good for their poll numbers, instead of thinking about what’s right.  (Applause.)  I mean, they are just -- you walk into -- you walk in somebody’s office and they got, like, five TVs -- CNN, MSNBC, FOX News --

AUDIENCE:  Oooh!

THE PRESIDENT:  I'm just saying.  (Laughter.)

SENATOR McCASKILL:  Smart crowd, smart crowd.

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, they’ve got all the tabloids, the little gossip -- you know -- papers in Washington.  So it’s like a hall of mirrors.  But folks don't spend enough time thinking about what’s right and what’s going on outside of Washington.  (Applause.)

Now, this is not a new phenomenon.  Harry Truman said something to the same effect.  He had an interview, he said, “Washington is a very easy city to forget where you come from and why you got there in the first place.”  (Laughter.)

Let me tell you something.  Claire McCaskill doesn’t forget where she came from. (Applause.)  And she doesn’t forget why she got to Washington.  She got to Washington to serve you, to fight for you, to fight for families all across America.  That's why you're here tonight, because you know Claire McCaskill is on your side.  (Applause.)

You’ve known that ever since she was a prosecutor.  You’ve seen her as a state auditor, just pinching pennies, just looking through -- (laughter) -- making sure folks aren’t wasting your money.  She’s turned into one of the finest senators Missouri has ever had.  (Applause.)  She’s following in Harry Truman’s footsteps.

She’s a standout because she speaks truth to power.  She’s not afraid of anybody.  Speaks her mind.  Sometimes she tells me things.  (Laughter.)  And I’m the President.  (Applause.)  But that’s -- that’s what you need, is somebody who’s got the courage of their convictions.  They’re not a weathervane, putting their fingers out to the wind, seeing, well, is that thing popular, is that going to win, is that good for me?  She’s thinking about, is it good for you.  She’s focused on solving problems.

No matter what party, she’ll work with anybody if she thinks it’s going to solve a problem.  She’s willing to challenge old assumptions and worn-out ideas.  And she’s a great role model for that.

I’ll just give you an example.  Some of you remember the -- Harry Truman made his name with the Truman Committee that went after waste and abuse during World War II, saving taxpayer dollars and lives.  Well, Claire is doing the same thing, fighting for transparency and accountability in government.  She understands that the money we spend doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to you.  It belongs to the American people, so it’s got to be spent responsibly.  (Applause.)

So just today, just today, I announced a plan that Claire proposed, pushed through Congress, that’s going to be coming online -- it’s a database where Americans can track spending on contracts:  who’s getting it, are they doing it on time, are they doing it on budget.  (Applause.)  If companies aren’t doing it on budget, then they stop getting contracts.

But that’s an example of the kind of work she’s been doing since she got there, the same way Harry Truman saw it.  You don’t govern by the polls; you govern by principles.  You don’t put your finger to the wind; you put your shoulder to the wheel.  (Applause.)  Because Claire assumes that if she’s doing what’s right the politics will sort itself out.

See, I've got the same philosophy.  I have so much faith in the American people that -- I have so much faith in the American people that I figure, you know what, if I do the right thing, then the politics will work itself out.  (Applause.)

Now, that’s puzzling to Washington.  So they’ve been writing over the last couple months, “Oh, my goodness, look at Obama.  His poll numbers have dropped.  Oh, the sky is falling!”  (Laughter.)  No, I mean, you see articles, you know, “Can you imagine what’s happened?  What a catastrophe.”  I'm looking around, and I feel okay.  (Laughter.)  I feel pretty good.  (Applause.)

And the reason I feel pretty good is because I wake up every day trying to figure out what’s going to help -- what’s going to help American families have some control over their lives?  What’s going to help them be able to save a little more for their retirement?  What’s going to help them be able to find a job?  What’s going to help them deal with a health care crisis in their lives?  What are we going to do to make sure young people can afford to go to college?  (Applause.)

Now, sometimes the decisions we make in the short term are not going to be popular, and the folks in Washington don’t understand that I know they’re not going to be popular.  They can’t believe I'm doing them.  See, they just think I’m an idiot -- (laughter) -- because I’m doing something that’s not immediately popular.  But I’ve got pollsters.  I’ve got very good pollsters.  They send me the polls.  They say, you know what, shoring up the financial system, not popular.  (Laughter.)  Helping out the auto industry, not popular.  Passing the Recovery Act, not popular.

That’s okay.  Because my job is not being popular.  (Applause.)  My job is solving problems for the American people. I’ve got a greater responsibility.  I’ve got a deeper mission.  (Applause.)  I’m looking at 10 years from now, will you look back and say that what he did made sense for the American people; not whether tomorrow people are going to be looking and saying, that made him popular.  (Applause.)

So, today -- listen, you remember -- you remember a year ago, everybody was saying -- we had only been there for two months.  (Laughter.)  They said, “Oh, his financial plan is a disaster.”  Stock market had dropped.  Remember that?  Everybody is like, his presidency is over; he’s been in three months.  (Laughter.)

Now, suddenly you look up, financial system is stabilized.  (Applause.)  People said, “Oh, you know what, why is he getting involved in this auto thing?  Big mistake.”  Now, suddenly General Motors is hiring again.  (Applause.)  They said, “Well, I don’t know about this Recovery Act.”  Except all over Missouri and all across the nation, roads are being repaved and bridges are being repaired and waterways are being rebuilt.  And we’re putting Americans back to work.  We’re laying the foundation for tomorrow.  And instead of the economy contracting 6 percent it’s now growing 6 percent.  (Applause.)

So I think about what’s right and then figure out -- whether the politics will work out or not, I’m confident in the American people.  (Applause.)

Now, look, here’s the bottom line -- Claire and I know this -- as much progress as we’ve made, there are still millions of Americans, and too many all across Missouri, who are out of work; too many people who are still stretched to the limits on their mortgages, their credit cards, their student loans.  So we’re on the road to recovery, but we’re not there.  We will not be there until folks who want to find a job can get a job; not until people feel some sense of security again.

We are fighting every day, Claire and I, for an America where every single person can compete and win.  If they’re willing to work hard, if they’re willing to apply themselves, then they’ve got a shot at the American Dream.  (Applause.)  We’re fighting for an economy where entrepreneurship and hard work and some sweat can result in success, and that we can rebuild this middle class that has been the backbone not just of our economy but also our democracy.

So we’re going to have some more fights.  We’ve won some fights.  People don’t -- people tend to forget -- we won them so fast those first six months, everybody’s forgotten about it.  (Laughter.)  We banned tobacco advertising to kids.  We passed credit card legislation to make sure that the worst abuses no longer happen.  (Applause.)  We passed housing fraud laws that will crack down on predatory lending.  We passed equal pay laws so that women are getting paid the same for doing the same work as men.  (Applause.)  We expanded health care to 4 million children.  We passed national service legislation.  We are bringing our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  We have delivered on our promises.  (Applause.)

But we’ve got work left to do.  The country that educates its children the best will compete the best in the 21st century  -- (applause) -- and that’s why we’re going to keep on pushing to reform our education system, make sure that college is affordable.

Because the nation that leads in clean energy will also lead in the 21st century economy, we’re going to keep on pushing -- (applause) -- for solar and wind and biodiesel and create millions of jobs in the process.

And, yes, because we know that this economy cannot work if we’ve got a broken health care system, we are going to get health care reform done this year, right now.  (Applause.)

Everybody remembers that person yelling to Harry, “Give ‘em hell, Harry!”  But folks don't remember Harry’s response, which was “I'm going to tell the truth and they’ll think it’s hell.”  (Laughter.)  So let me tell you the truth about health care reform.  The system is broken.  Out in California, one of the biggest insurers there just raised rates up to 39 percent on millions of people.  Right across the river, in Illinois, 60 percent hikes in some of the individual markets.  It’s not sustainable and everybody knows it.

So what have we done?  There’s nothing radical about what we've proposed.  We have said, look, some countries have a government-run system; that's not going to work for here in the United States.  Some people -- most of my Republican colleagues in Washington -- seem to think that the best health care plan is just to let ‘er rip when it comes to the insurance companies, deregulate further, and that that's somehow going to give you more of a break.  This is the “foxes guarding the chicken coop” theory of health care reform.

What I've said is, look, we don't need government or insurance bureaucrats controlling your health care.  We're going to put you in control.  And we're going to do that in three simple ways:  Number one, we're going to have the toughest insurance reforms in history.  (Applause.)  A patient’s bill of right on steroids, so they can't deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition; so that they’ve got to cover young people up to the age of 26; so they don't have fine print that will prevent you from getting the care that you need or allow them to drop you when you get sick.  (Applause.)  Insurance reform.

Number two, what we're saying is, you know what, members of Congress have a pretty good deal on health care.  You know why?  Because they’re members of a big pool of federal employees.  They’ve got millions of people in their pool, so like any big company, they can negotiate for the best rates.  What about you? (Applause.)  What about you?  Why shouldn’t you be able to do the same thing that members of Congress can do?  So we're going to create a pool for you that will drive down your premiums so that you’ve got leverage, so that you can get a better deal.  (Applause.)

(Lights go out momentarily.)

Whoa!  All right, who was -- was that Mitch McConnell back there trying to -- (laughter.)  Yes, see, they don't like when we start telling the truth.  (Laughter.)

So that's number two.  Number three, we're going to drive down costs.  We are going to drive down costs.  Now, let me tell you, some of you may have heard of the Congressional Budget Office.  This is the office that basically decides, it’s the referee on how many -- how much things cost.  According to the Congressional Budget Office, our plan passes and folks right now who have to buy insurance in the individual market or small markets because they don't have a big employer that's looking out for them -- they will save 14 to 20 percent on a comparable plan to what they’re purchasing right now.  That's money out of your pocket.  That's money that right now is going out of your pocket that would go back in if this health care reform passed.

Employers, according to the Business Roundtable, would save up to $3,000 per employee in reduced premium costs if health reform passed.  (Applause.)  That's their numbers, according to the Business Roundtable; not my numbers.  The deficit over the next two decades will be reduced by a trillion dollars if health care reform passes -- (applause) -- and that's why it can't be “if,” it’s got to be “when.”  (Applause.)  We are going to get this done and we're going to get it done soon.  (Applause.)  And it’s time for an up or down vote in Washington on health care reform.  Tired of talking about it; let’s get it done.  (Applause.)

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

THE PRESIDENT:  See, I want every member of Congress to hear this chant --

AUDIENCE:  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  We got to start this chant up in Congress -- because what ends up happening in Washington is that right about now, when it’s time to actually just go ahead and get this done, this is when folks get the most nervous.  Oh, there’s just so much noise out there, just the echo chamber.  It’s getting people all stressed out.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Stay the course!

THE PRESIDENT:  Stay the course, is what I tell them.  (Applause.)  And you know, we were meeting with some supporters back here, and a couple of them said the same thing.  They said, “Don't let them wear you down.”  And I tried to explain I don't get worn down; I wear them down.  (Applause.)  I don't get worn down.

You know why I don't get worn down?  Because of the woman I met in Pennsylvania this past week who found out that her health insurance premium has just gone up a hundred percent; or the mother up in Green Bay who I met last year, who’s got two small kids, breast cancer has metastasized, and instead of just worrying about how she can get well, she’s having to fight off the incredible debt that's coming because of these limits that are placed on her insurance coverage.  She’s got insurance and is still worrying about her family going broke.

Now, if she’s not tired, if she’s still fighting, then I'm fighting.  (Applause.)  If they’re not getting worn down, then I'm not going to be worn down.  And if I've got somebody like Claire McCaskill next to me -- (applause) -- if I've got Claire McCaskill in the foxhole with me -- (applause) -- if I've got somebody like Claire McCaskill in the Senate bucking people up and telling them, we don't give up, we don't get worn down, then I guarantee you we're not just going to pass health care; we are going to do what is required to make sure that the middle class here in America once again has the ability to control its own destiny.  (Applause.)

We don't shirk from a challenge, we don't shrink from responsibilities; we embrace them -- for our children and the next generation.  We don't worry about the next election; we worry about a longer term.  And that's why you're here.  That's why you supported me in this campaign.  That's why you supported Claire McCaskill.  Don't give up on me now.  We're just getting started.

Thank you, St. Louis.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

END
7:47 P.M. CST

Remarks by the President at a Fundraising Dinner for Senator Claire McCaskill

Renaissance Grand Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

6:45 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Everybody have a seat, have a seat.  Thank you so much.  All right, we’ve got some -- everybody is a special guest, but we got some big names around here.  First of all, please give a huge round of applause once again to one of the finest governors in this country, Jay Nixon.  Give it up for him.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding attorney general, Chris Koster.  (Applause.)  Your fabulous state treasurer, Clint Zweifel.  (Applause.)  My great friend and supporter, state auditor Susan Montee.  (Applause.)  One of my favorite folks in Missouri, Jean Carnahan.  (Applause.)  And all the McCaskills out there.  I know you take up about half the tables.  (Laughter.)  Golly.  By the way, your younger sister made a point of saying, “I’m the younger sister.”  I just wanted you to know that.  (Laughter.)

SENATOR McCASKILL:  Of course she did.  Of course she did.

THE PRESIDENT:  All right.  It is great to be back in the Show Me State.  It’s nice to get out of Washington for a little bit.  Now, there are a lot of nice things in Washington, don’t get me wrong.  I love the monuments.  (Laughter.)  But let’s face it, it’s a town where most of the time folks are more worried about what’s good politics than what’s right; where folks are just hooked up to the daily polls like they’re on some kind of EKG.

And this isn’t a new phenomenon.  In fact, I remember -- I’m reminded of somebody from Missouri named Harry Truman, who once said in an interview he gave a long time ago, “Washington is a very easy city to forget where you came from and why you got there in the first place.”  But I want everybody here to understand that there is one person who’s never forgotten where she comes from or why she is there, and that’s Claire McCaskill.  (Applause.)  Claire is there to serve -- she’s there to serve you, she’s there to serve Missouri, she’s there to serve the United States of America.  And I don’t have to tell you that, because you’ve known Claire.  You knew her as a prosecutor.  You knew her as a state auditor.  You now know her as one of the finest senators that Missouri has ever produced.

In fact, she’s a lot like a modern-day Harry Truman, except she’s a she.  (Laughter.)  But she’s a standout in Washington for speaking truth to power, for bringing common sense to every issue, and for having the courage of her convictions.  Claire is tough, not just to score cheap political points but because she understands what her constituents are going through.  And in a town marked by just withering partisanship, she’s focused on what needs to be done to make sure that ordinary families here in Missouri and all across the country are getting a fair shake.  And she’ll work with anybody, no matter what party, to get it done.  And she’ll criticize anybody, no matter what party, in order to get things done.

And so in a town marked by gridlock, she’s not afraid to challenge old assumptions or worn-out ideas.  And so she’s a good role model for all of us, including the President of the United States.  (Applause.)

Just as the Truman Committee went after waste and abuse in our military during World War II, saving taxpayers billions of dollars, Claire has been a relentless force for bringing more efficiency and more transparency, more accountability to our government.  She understands what everyone in Washington should understand, but don’t -- the money we spend doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to the American people.  And we’ve got to invest it responsibly.

In fact, earlier today, down in St. Charles, I announced a plan that Claire proposed and pushed through Congress that’s about to come online.  It’s a database where Americans can track spending on contracts to see who’s getting the job done on time and who’s not; to see which companies keep costs low and which come in over budget time and again.  Because the way that Claire sees it is the same way that Harry Truman saw it:  You don’t govern by polls, you govern by principles; you don’t put your finger up to the wind, you put your shoulder to the wheel.  And when this country is challenged, you do what you think is right and you figure that the politics will work itself out.

No one in his or her right mind would have plotted, at the beginning of my administration, to do what we did -- shore up the financial system, shore up the auto industry, pass the Recovery Act -- if the goal was just to drive up our poll numbers.  I’ve got a really good pollster -- we knew that what we had to do wasn’t popular.  We knew it wasn’t popular to make sure that we didn’t have a financial meltdown.  We knew that a lot of folks felt like, well, the auto companies got themselves into trouble.  So we knew it wouldn’t poll well, but we had a different mission, we had a greater responsibility -- and that is to save our country from an even greater economic catastrophe than the one that we’ve seen.  And that’s a responsibility that we met.

And today our financial system is stabilizing.  And General Motors is expanding and hiring again.  And millions of people are working in America who would not have been working had it not been for the Recovery Act.  And all across Missouri, all across the nation, roads are being repaved and bridges are being repaired and waterways are being rebuilt -- not only putting Americans to work today, but laying a foundation for a better tomorrow.  But we didn’t know how the politics would work out; we knew it was the right thing to do, the same way Claire understands in each of her legislative initiatives -- I'm not sure how this will poll, but I know it’s the right thing to do.

Now, as we meet tonight there are still millions of Americans -- and too many right here in this state -- who are out of work, millions who are stretched to the limits on their mortgage or their credit cards, their student loans.  We are on the road to recovery -- but we haven’t gotten there yet.  Not until our economy is adding jobs again.  Not until people feel secure again.  And Claire and I together, every day, are fighting for an economy in which Americans can compete and win.  We’re fighting for an economy in which hard work and entrepreneurship is rewarded again, where small businesses as well as large are thriving again and the great middle class that is the backbone of our country –- and where Claire and I come out of –- is thriving again, is strong again.

That’s not easy –- because there’s been a lot of work that’s been undone for the last two decades, three decades, seven decades.  We’ve got a lot of built-up challenges that we’re going to have to work hard to solve.  But even as we fight these fights I want you to understand we are taking on some of the other problems facing folks in this state and across the country, and we’re going to win these fights.

We passed a tough new tobacco law that helps stop cigarette companies from targeting kids and force them to disclose what they put in their products.  We passed a Credit Card Bill of Rights that protects consumers from surprise charges, like over-the-limit fees and hidden costs for paying a bill by phone.  We passed an equal pay law to help a promise to America’s women:  that if you do the same job as a man you should make the same wage as a man.  (Applause.)  We expanded health insurance coverage for 4 million more children.  (Applause.)

So the bottom line is this:  I want everybody to understand despite all the gridlock, despite all the shenanigans, we’ve gotten a lot done.

The reason I’m here tonight, and the reason Claire is here tonight, is because we’ve got a lot more work to do.  Some of our biggest challenges lie ahead.

Because the future belongs to a nation that educates its children best, we’ve got to reform our education system so that all our kids are ready for college, all our kids are ready for a career, all our kids are ready to succeed in the 21st century.  (Applause.)

Because the nation that leads in clean energy today will lead the global economy tomorrow, we need to invest in a clean energy industry that frees us from foreign oil and cleans up our air and generates millions of jobs in the process.  (Applause.)

And, yes –- and, yes, because the current health care system is broken and unsustainable, we have to have health insurance reform this year.  Right now.  (Applause.)

We’ve been talking about health care for nearly a century.  One of the Presidents who tried to do something about it?  Harry Truman.  Sixty years ago he pushed back against opponents of reform by saying, “The American people will not be frightened off from health insurance because some people have misnamed it socialized medicine.”  He then repeated, “What I am recommending is not socialized medicine.”  Who says history doesn’t repeat itself?

But you know what else Harry Truman said –- you know, the famous saying about “Give ‘em hell, Harry” –- what Harry said was, “I'm going to tell the truth –- they’ll think it’s hell.”  (Laughter and applause.)

And so let me tell the truth about this health care debate.  I know there are strong views about this.  I know there are Democrats who would like to scrap our system of private insurance and replace it with a government-run health care system that works in some countries.  I know there are some on the other side who believe that the answer is to loosen regulations on insurance companies where there’s consumer protections or basic standards of what kind of insurance can be sold.  This is what we call the “fox guarding the henhouse” approach to health care reform.

But I don’t believe we should give the government or insurance companies more control over health care in America.  I believe it’s time to give you, the American people, more control over your health insurance.  (Applause.)   And that’s why my proposal –- my proposal builds on the current system, where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer.  If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.  If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.  I’m the father of two young girls –- I don’t want anybody interfering between my family and their doctor.

But essentially the proposal that we –- after all the talk, after the years of debate, let’s be clear on what we’re doing here.  Three things we’re going to change about the current health care system.

Number one, we’re going to end the worst practices of the insurance companies.  Within a year of signing health care reform, thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions will be able to purchase health insurance for the first time since they were diagnosed.  (Applause.)   This year –- this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions.  (Applause.)   This year they will be banned from dropping coverage when you get sick.  They’ll no longer be able to arbitrarily raise premiums.  Those practices will end.  (Applause.)

When this reform passes into law, all new insurance plans will offer free preventive care to their customers, free checkups so that we can start catching preventable illnesses on the front end.  Starting this year, if you buy a plan there won’t be lifetime restrictions or annual limits on the amount of care that you can receive from your insurance companies.  And if you’re an uninsured adult you’ll be able to stay on your parents’ policy until you’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  So that’s the first thing we do.

Second thing we change.  For the first time we would start allowing people who are currently trying to get health insurance on the individual market –- small businesses –- and just can’t do it, to have the same kind of choices of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves -- (applause) -- which I don’t think is a bad idea, and neither does Claire McCaskill.

Now, I want everybody -- members of Congress will be getting their insurance from this same marketplace, because if it’s good enough for the American people, then it’s good enough for Congress.  (Applause.)

My proposal also says that if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, we will offer you tax credits to do so -- tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history.

Understand, the wealthiest among us can already buy insurance, the best insurance there is.  The least well off, they’re covered under Medicaid.  It’s the middle class that’s getting squeezed, and that’s who we have to help -- small businesses, self-employed, individuals who are out there struggling.

And this will cost some money.  It’s going to cost about $100 billion per year.  But most of this comes from the nearly $2.5 trillion a year that we’re already spending on health care; we’re just not spending it very wisely right now.  (Applause.)  We are wasting it, we’re spending it badly, and with some basic reforms, eliminating waste and abuse, we can make sure to provide coverage that’s affordable -- make it more affordable and more secure.

We’re going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies currently going to insurance and pharmaceutical companies.  We’ll set up a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain as 30 million new customers come onboard.  But the point everybody needs to understand is, it’s paid for.  I said at the beginning of this thing we would not do anything that adds to our deficit.  This plan does not do anything to add to this deficit.  (Applause.)  And that’s how we should be operating.  We can’t say the same for the prescription drug plan that was passed by the previous Congress.

Finally, this proposal would bring down the cost of health care for families and businesses and the federal government.  Americans buying comparable coverage to what they have today in the individual market, they’d see their premiums drop 14 percent to 20 percent.  Americans who get their insurance through the marketplace, premiums could fall by as much as $3,000 per person.

And by now, we’ve incorporated every single serious idea across the political spectrum about how to contain rising costs in health care -- ideas that go after waste and abuse in our system, especially in programs like Medicare.  But we do this while protecting Medicare benefits, extending stability of the program, and filling this doughnut hole that is such a burden on a lot of seniors who really need their prescription drugs.

So our cost-cutting measures would reduce most people’s premiums, bring down the deficit by a trillion dollars over the next two decades.  Those are not my numbers.  Those are savings determined by the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan, independent referee of Congress.

So just in case anybody is out there asking you about health care reform, that’s our proposal.  And it is a proposal whose time has come.  We are coming to a final vote in Congress, and that’s when folks in Congress, they get nervous.  The Washington echo chamber is deafening, and it tells members of Congress to think about politics instead of what’s right.  It tells Congress that comprehensive reform, that’s failed before, it really hurt Clinton.  It may just be too hard.

Yes, this is hard.  There’s no doubt about it.  Let me tell you what else is hard.  There’s a woman I just met, Leslie Banks, in Pennsylvania.  Single mother.  She was hit with a 100 percent rate increase -- just a letter sent by her insurance company, 100 percent increase in her premiums.  That’s hard.  There’s a woman named Natoma Canfield.  She’s got cancer, in Ohio.  Had to drop her insurance even though it may cost her her house.  The other day she suddenly fell ill; she’s in the hospital right now.  We’re all praying for her, but lying in a hospital bed, worrying about how you’re going to pay for your bills -- that’s hard.  I know.  My mother went through that.

There’s a woman named Laura Klitzka, in Wisconsin, Green Bay -- young mother battling cancer.  She and her husband had insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt.  So she’s in the middle of this unbelievable battle -- got little kids she loves dearly.  She’s spending most of her time worrying about debt when all she wants to do is spend time with her children.  That’s hard.  Millions of families, small businesses, what they’re going through because we don’t have a health insurance system that works for them -- that’s really hard.

Those of us in public office were not sent to Washington to do what was easy; we were sent there to do what was hard.  We were sent there to do what’s right.  When I think about the campaign I ran for President, and I think about the campaign Claire McCaskill ran for Senate, all the work we put in -- we were joking backstage about, boy, you worked really hard for this job.  (Laughter.)  The reason we did it wasn’t to get a title.  The reason you -- so many of you -- were so passionate about this campaign wasn’t just so you could have a picture with me.  That wasn’t what this was about.

This was about recognizing that America at its best doesn’t shrink from a challenge; we overcome challenges.  We don’t shrink from responsibilities; we embrace our responsibilities.  We don’t fear the future; we seize the future.  (Applause.)  That’s what we did in the campaign, at a time when everybody was out there saying we couldn’t do it.  That’s what people were warning Claire about when she took on this race for Senate, saying, “I don’t know, Claire, you’ve already gone through a couple of losses; this may be tough.  Why take the risk?”  Because it needed to be done.  Because somewhere down the road there were a whole bunch of people in our pasts -- our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents -- who decided, we’re not taking the easy path, we’re taking the right path.  We’re going to fight to make sure our kids and our grandkids and our great grandkids have a better life than we do.

That’s what our campaigns were about.  That’s what your involvement has been about.  That’s what this health care debate is about.  That is what my presidency is about.  And that is what America is about.  And that is why I’m absolutely convinced if we stay on course that we are going to win this thing -- not the short-term battle, not the November election; we’re going to win out in terms of creating the kind of society for our kids and our grandkids that we can be proud of.

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

END
7:09 P.M. CST

Message from the President Regarding Iran

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice to the Federal Register for publication stating that the Iran emergency declared on March 15, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond March 15, 2010.

The crisis between the United States and Iran resulting from actions and policies of the Government of Iran that led to the declaration of a national emergency on March 15, 1995, has not been resolved. The actions and policies of the Government of Iran are contrary to the interests of the United States in the region and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to Iran and maintain in force comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 10, 2010.

Notice of Continuation from the President Regarding Iran

NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO IRAN

On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran. On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959 imposing more comprehensive sanctions to further respond to this threat, and on August 19, 1997, the President issued Executive Order 13059 consolidating and clarifying the previous orders.

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2010. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran. Because the emergency declared by Executive Order 12957 constitutes an emergency separate from that declared on November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, this renewal is distinct from the emergency renewal of November 2009. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 10, 2010.

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 3/10/10

Thomas Edward Delahanty II, of Maine, to be United States Attorney for the District of Maine for the term of four years, vice Jay Patrick McCloskey.

Catherine C. Eagles, of North Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina, vice Norwood Carlton Tilley, Jr., retired.

Cathy Jo Jones, of Ohio, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio for the term of four years, vice James Michael Wahlrab, resigned.

Raymond Joseph Lohier, Jr., of New York, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, vice Sonia Sotomayor, elevated.

John J. McConnell, Jr., of Rhode Island, to be United States District Judge for the District of Rhode Island, vice Ernest C. Torres, retired.

Kimberly J. Mueller, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California, vice Frank C. Damrell, Jr., retired.

Wendy J. Olson, of Idaho, to be United States Attorney for the District of Idaho for the term of four years, vice Thomas E. Moss.

Kathleen M. O'Malley, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, vice Alvin A. Schall, retired.

Mimi E. Alemayehou, of the District of Columbia, to be Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, vice John A. Simon, resigned.

Elizabeth A. McGrath, of Virginia, to be Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense. (New Position)

President Obama Nominates Justice Thomas Delahanty II and Wendy Olson to be United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Justice Thomas Delahanty II and Wendy Olson to be United States Attorneys for the District of Maine and the District of Idaho, respectively.  Justice Delahanty currently serves as a Justice for the Maine Superior Court and Olson is currently Senior Litigation Counsel in the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho.

“I am honored to nominate Justice Thomas Delahanty and Wendy Olson today to serve as United States Attorneys,” President Obama said.  “They will be resolute in their pursuit of justice and I am confident they will serve the people of Maine and Idaho with distinction.”

Thomas Edward Delahanty II: Nominee for United States Attorney, District of Maine
Justice Thomas Delahanty has been a Justice for the Maine Superior Court since 1983, where he served as Chief Justice from 1990 until 1995. From 1981 until 1983, he was a partner in the firm Delahanty & Longley.  Prior to that, Justice Delahanty worked for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine as a United States Attorney.  From 1975 until 1980, he worked for the District Attorney’s Office of the Prosecutorial District 3 for Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford Counties as a District Attorney.  Preceding that, Judge Delahanty had been County Attorney with the Androscoggin County Attorney’s Office from 1973 until 1975, and Assistant County Attorney from 1971 until 1973.  From 1970 until 1974, he was an associate at Marshall, Raymond & Beliveau.  Justice Delahanty graduated from St. Michael’s College in 1967 and from the University of Maine School of Law in 1970.

Wendy J. Olson: Nominee for United States Attorney, District of Idaho
Wendy Olson has been with the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho since 1997, where she was an Assistant United States Attorney until 2006, when she became Senior Litigation Counsel.  Olson was an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing at the George Washington University School of Law from 1994 until 1997.  Prior to that she worked for the Civil Rights Division of the Criminal Section of the United States Department of Justice, where she was a trial attorney from 1992 until 1996, and Deputy Director of Operations and Assistant to the Director on the National Church Arson Task Force from 1996 until 1997.  Olson served as a law clerk for the Honorable Barbara J. Rothstein of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.  Olson earned her undergraduate degree at Drake University in 1986 and received her J.D. from the Stanford University School of Law in 1990.