Source: ABC News Radio, 5-10-13
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Joe Biden sat for a wide-ranging interview published in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine in which the vice president answered questions on a variety of domestic and international issues while speaking candidly about his close relationship with President Obama….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 10, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/political-headlines-may-10-2013-vp-joe-biden-says-he-and-president-barack-obama-are-extremely-close/
Source: ABC News Radio, 5-4-13
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
South Carolina got a taste of two very different political acts Friday night….
“One of the things that bothers me most about the new Republican party is how down on America they are, how down on our prospects they are, how they talk about how we’re getting clobbered, how they talk about things that have no relationship to reality, all in the name of making sure that the very few at the top do very well,” Biden said at the South Carolina Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner Friday night….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 4, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/political-headlines-may-4-2013-vp-joe-biden-sen-ted-cruz-speak-in-south-carolina-amid-2016-presidential-campaign-buzz/
Source: WH, 4-17-13
Surrounded by Americans whose lives and families had been forever changed by gun violence, President Obama spoke from the Rose Garden about today’s Senate vote on expanded background checks for gun sales.
A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies — including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who’s here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers –- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence.
Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders –- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn’t worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.
“A majority of senators voted “yes” to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks,” President Obama said. “But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.”
The President said that the legislation showed respect for victims of gun violence and gun owners alike. “Nobody could honestly claim that this legislation infringed on our Second Amendment rights,” he said. “All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet.”
But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn’t want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn’t do this. It came down to politics — the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections.
“All in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington,” President Obama said. “But this effort isn’t over. I want to make it clear to the American people that we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as you don’t give up. “
He promised that his administration would keep doing everything it can to protect our kids and communities. “But we can do more if Congress gets its act together,” he said.
“Those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe.”
The President said that he sees today’s vote as the end of round one.
I believe we’re going to be able to get this done. Sooner or later, we are going to get this right. The memories of these children demand it. And so do the American people.
Make your voice heard. Speak out if you support common-sense steps to reduce gun violence
Source: WH, 4-17-13
Rose Garden
5:35 P.M. EDT
MR. BARDEN: Hello. My name is Mark Barden. Just four months ago, my wife Jackie and I lost our son, and our children, James and Natalie, they lost their little brother Daniel. Daniel was a first-grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Our sweet, 7-year-old Daniel was one of 20 children, six adults lost on December 14th. I have to say it feels like it was just yesterday.
In our deepest grief, we were supported by the love of our families and comforted by the love and prayers we received from millions of America, from every corner of the country.
What happened in Newtown can happen anywhere. In any instant, any dad in America could be in my shoes. No one should feel the pain. No one should feel our pain or the pain felt by the tens of thousands of people who’ve lost loved ones to senseless gun violence.
And that’s why we’re here. Two weeks ago, 12 of us from Newtown came to meet with U.S. senators and have a conversation about how to bring common-sense solutions to the issues of gun violence. We came with a sense of hope, optimistic that real conversation could begin that would ultimately save the lives of so many Americans. We met with dozens of Democrats and Republicans and shared with them pictures of our children, our spouses, our parents who lost their lives on December 14th.
Expanded background checks wouldn’t have saved our loved ones, but still we came to support the bipartisan proposal from two senators, both with “A” ratings from the NRA — a common-sense proposal supported by 90 percent of Americans. It‘s a proposal that will save lives without interfering with the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners.
We’ll return home now, disappointed but not defeated. We return home with the determination that change will happen — maybe not today, but it will happen. It will happen soon. We’ve always known this would be a long road, and we don’t have the luxury of turning back. We will keep moving forward and build public support for common-sense solutions in the areas of mental health, school safety, and gun safety.
We take strength from the children and loved ones that we lost, and we carry a great faith in the American people.
On behalf of the Sandy Hook Promise, I would like to thank President Obama, Vice President Biden for their leadership and for standing strong and continuing to fight for a safer America. I would like to thank Senators Toomey, Manchin, Schumer and Kirk on coming together to seek common ground on legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of criminals and save lives.
And I would like to thank Connecticut’s Senators Blumenthal and Murphy. They’ve been right with us. They stood by us right from the very beginning. From the first few hours after this tragedy they were with us.
We will not be defeated. We are not defeated, and we will not be defeated. We are here now; we will always be here because we have no other choice. We are not going away. And every day, as more people are killed in this country because of gun violence, our determination grows stronger.
We leave Washington hoping that others, both here and across the country, will join us in making the Sandy Hook Promise, a pledge that we’d had great hope that more U.S. senators would take literally. I’d like to end by repeating the words with which the Sandy Hook Promise begins: Our hearts are broken. Our spirit is not.
Thank you. It is now my great pleasure to introduce the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
THE PRESIDENT: A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies — including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who’s here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers –- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence.
Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders –- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn’t worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.
By now, it’s well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun. We’re talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness. Ninety percent of Americans support that idea. Most Americans think that’s already the law.
And a few minutes ago, 90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea. But it’s not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea.
A majority of senators voted “yes” to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks. But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.
I’m going to speak plainly and honestly about what’s happened here because the American people are trying to figure out how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen. We had a Democrat and a Republican -– both gun owners, both fierce defenders of our Second Amendment, with “A” grades from the NRA — come together and worked together to write a common-sense compromise on background checks. And I want to thank Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their courage in doing that. That was not easy given their traditional strong support for Second Amendment rights.
As they said, nobody could honestly claim that the package they put together infringed on our Second Amendment rights. All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet. So 60 percent of guns are already purchased through a background check system; this would have covered a lot of the guns that are currently outside that system.
Their legislation showed respect for gun owners, and it showed respect for the victims of gun violence. And Gabby Giffords, by the way, is both — she’s a gun owner and a victim of gun violence. She is a Westerner and a moderate. And she supports these background checks.
In fact, even the NRA used to support expanded background checks. The current leader of the NRA used to support these background checks. So while this compromise didn’t contain everything I wanted or everything that these families wanted, it did represent progress. It represented moderation and common sense. That’s why 90 percent of the American people supported it.
But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill. They claimed that it would create some sort of “big brother” gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite. This legislation, in fact, outlawed any registry. Plain and simple, right there in the text. But that didn’t matter.
And unfortunately, this pattern of spreading untruths about this legislation served a purpose, because those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of senators. And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they’re all good people. I know all of them were shocked by tragedies like Newtown. And I also understand that they come from states that are strongly pro-gun. And I have consistently said that there are regional differences when it comes to guns, and that both sides have to listen to each other.
But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn’t want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn’t do this. It came down to politics — the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections. They worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-Second Amendment.
And obviously, a lot of Republicans had that fear, but Democrats had that fear, too. And so they caved to the pressure, and they started looking for an excuse — any excuse — to vote “no.”
One common argument I heard was that this legislation wouldn’t prevent all future massacres. And that’s true. As I said from the start, no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil. We learned that tragically just two days ago. But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand — if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try.
And this legislation met that test. And too many senators failed theirs.
I’ve heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory. And my question is, a victory for who? A victory for what? All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check. That didn’t make our kids safer. Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done? It begs the question, who are we here to represent?
I’ve heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced. “A prop,” somebody called them. “Emotional blackmail,” some outlet said. Are they serious? Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don’t have a right to weigh in on this issue? Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate?
So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington.
But this effort is not over. I want to make it clear to the American people we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as the American people don’t give up on it. Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities. We’re going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system. We’re going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns so it can do its job. We’re going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools.
But we can do more if Congress gets its act together. And if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters.
To all the people who supported this legislation — law enforcement and responsible gun owners, Democrats and Republicans, urban moms, rural hunters, whoever you are — you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don’t act this time, you will remember come election time.
To the wide majority of NRA households who supported this legislation, you need to let your leadership and lobbyists in Washington know they didn’t represent your views on this one.
The point is those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe. Ultimately, you outnumber those who argued the other way. But they’re better organized. They’re better financed. They’ve been at it longer. And they make sure to stay focused on this one issue during election time. And that’s the reason why you can have something that 90 percent of Americans support and you can’t get it through the Senate or the House of Representatives.
So to change Washington, you, the American people, are going to have to sustain some passion about this. And when necessary, you’ve got to send the right people to Washington. And that requires strength, and it requires persistence.
And that’s the one thing that these families should have inspired in all of us. I still don’t know how they have been able to muster up the strength to do what they’ve doing over the last several weeks, last several months.
And I see this as just round one. When Newtown happened, I met with these families and I spoke to the community, and I said, something must be different right now. We’re going to have to change. That’s what the whole country said. Everybody talked about how we were going to change something to make sure this didn’t happen again, just like everybody talked about how we needed to do something after Aurora. Everybody talked about we needed change something after Tucson.
And I’m assuming that the emotions that we’ve all felt since Newtown, the emotions that we’ve all felt since Tucson and Aurora and Chicago — the pain we share with these families and families all across the country who’ve lost a loved one to gun violence — I’m assuming that’s not a temporary thing. I’m assuming our expressions of grief and our commitment to do something different to prevent these things from happening are not empty words.
I believe we’re going to be able to get this done. Sooner or later, we are going to get this right. The memories of these children demand it. And so do the American people.
Thank you very much, everybody.
END 5:55 P.M. EDT
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 17, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/full-text-obama-presidency-april-17-2013-president-barack-obamas-speech-statement-after-senate-vote-blocks-gun-control-legislation/
Source: ABC News Radio, 4-5-13
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Vice President Joe Biden is not planning on donating a portion of his salary, eschewing the lead of President Obama and other Cabinet members who are giving up part of their salary as some federal workers face furloughs because of the sequester.
While he is not donating his salary right now, the vice president could forgo a portion of his salary in the future should his staff face furloughs down the road….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 6, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/political-headlines-april-5-2013-vice-president-joe-biden-holds-off-on-donating-salary/
Source: ABC News Radio, 4-5-13
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Rounding out the week’s Easter celebrations, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted faith leaders from across the country at a prayer breakfast in the East Room of the White House Friday morning.
“To all the pastors in the house, I hope you’ve enjoyed some well-deserved rest after a very busy Holy Week. I see some chuckles, so maybe not,” the president told the crowd of approximately 135 people. “Here at the White House, I’m pleased to say that we survived yet another Easter Egg Roll.”…READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 5, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/political-headlines-april-5-2013-president-barack-obama-hosts-faith-leaders-at-easter-prayer-breakfast/
Source: WH, 4-5-13
East Room
9:28 A.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all for being here today. And welcome to the White House, and a belated happy Easter — this time of the year when we celebrate renewal and we reflect on the faith that brings us together.
For me, the essence of my faith is tolerance: not being judgmental about people of different faiths. When I was in Rome a few weeks ago, Pope Francis spoke movingly in his homily about our commitments to each other, not just as people of faith, but, he went on to say, but as human beings.
I grew up in a tradition of Catholic social doctrine, and I was incredibly impressed by His Holiness’s homily, his sense of social justice. But I believe his message reads something essential about all faiths, and that is ultimately we all believe that we have a responsibility to one another and we all are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers.
When it comes down to it, we all know that we’re connected by much more than divides us, although the focus is always on what divides us. As we move forward as a nation, I do believe we’re going to be judged on how we answer that call — that call of moral responsibility, to whether we stand up for those who have the least among us, whether we act on their behalf.
And one of the things that I think at least the President and I believe has been the essence of this administration is the most animating principle of the administration has been just that: to look out for the least among us. Those are the values that I know that the President — and I personally know — the President holds extremely close to his heart.
So I’d like to introduce to you now, my friend, and our President, President Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you.
Well, good morning, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good morning.
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome, once again, to the White House. It is always wonderful to see so many friends from all across the country. I want to thank you for joining us today. I want to thank everybody for their prayers, but, most importantly, I want to thank everybody for their good works through your ministries. It’s making a difference in communities all across this nation, and we could not be more proud to often have a chance to work with you.
To all the pastors in the house, I hope you’ve enjoyed some well-deserved rest after a very busy Holy Week. I see some chuckles, so maybe not. (Laughter.) Here at the White House, I’m pleased to say that we survived yet another Easter Egg Roll. (Laughter.)
Now, if you’ve been to this breakfast before, you know that I always try to avoid preaching in front of people who do it for a living. That’s sound advice. So this morning, I’m just going to leave the sermon to others and offer maybe a few remarks as we mark this — the end of this Easter season.
In these sacred days, those of us as Christians remember the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for each of us –- how, in all His humility and His grace, He took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation. And we recommit ourselves to following His example –- to loving the Lord our God with all our hearts and all our souls and with all our minds, and to loving our neighbors as ourselves.
That’s the eternal spirit of Easter. And this year, I had — I think was particularly special for me because right before Easter I had a chance to feel that spirit during my trip to the Holy Land. And I think so many of you here know there are few experiences more powerful or more humbling than visiting that sacred earth.
It brings Scripture to life. It brings us closer to Christ. It reminds us that our Savior, who suffered and died was resurrected, both fully God and also a man; a human being who lived, and walked, and felt joy and sorrow just like us.
And so for Christians to walk where He walked and see what He saw are blessed moments. And while I had been to Jerusalem before, where Jesus healed the sick, and cured the blind, and embraced the least of these, I also had a chance to go to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. And those of you who have been there know that entering the church is a remarkable experience, although it is a useful instruction to see how managing different sections of the church and different clergy — it feels familiar. (Laughter.) Let’s just put it that way. (Laughter.)
And as I approached the Altar of the Nativity, as I neared the 14-pointed Silver Star that marks the spot where Christ was born, the Patriarch of Jerusalem welcomed me to, in his words, “the place where heaven and Earth met.”
And there, I had a chance to pray and reflect on Christ’s birth, and His life, His sacrifice, His Resurrection. I thought about all the faithful pilgrims who for two thousand years have done the same thing — giving thanks for the fact that, as the book of Romans tells us, “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
I thought of the poor and the sick who seek comfort, and the marginalized and the forsaken who seek solace, and the grateful who merely seek to offer thanks for the simple blessings of this life and the awesome glory of the next. I thought of all who would travel to this place for centuries to come and the lives they might know.
And I was reminded that while our time on Earth is fleeting, He is eternal. His life, His lessons live on in our hearts and, most importantly, in our actions. When we tend to the sick, when we console those in pain, when we sacrifice for those in need, wherever and whenever we are there to give comfort and to guide and to love, then Christ is with us.
So this morning, let us pray that we’re worthy of His many blessings, that this nation is worthy of His many blessings. Let us promise to keep in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, on this day and on every day, the life and lessons of Christ, our Lord.
And with that, I’d like to ask Father Larry Snyder to deliver our opening prayer.
END
9:36 A.M. EDT
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 5, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/full-text-obama-presidency-april-5-2013-president-barack-obama-vice-president-joe-bidens-speeches-at-easter-prayer-breakfast/
Source: ABC News Radio, 4-2-13
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
Hillary Clinton stepped out of the shadows Tuesday night at an award ceremony held to recognize leaders from around the world who worked to improve the plight of women and featuring such guests as Nicholas Kristof and Vice President Joe Biden.
At the event, Vital Voices’ Global Leadership Awards, the former secretary of state made her second public appearance since she left her post earlier this year….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on April 2, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/political-headlines-april-2-2013-hillary-clinton-shares-stage-with-vp-joe-biden-in-post-state-public-appearance/
Source: ABC News Radio, 3-15-13
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Friday is the second day of the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference — an annual gathering in Washington, D.C., where members of the GOP meet to cement their ideology and try out potential presidential nominees for the coming years.
In his speech at CPAC, the National Rifle Association’s Wayne LaPierre mocked Vice President Joe Biden for his advice that women should fire a shotgun two times in the air if they are faced by an attacker and accused the vice president and the White House of having “lost their minds.”…READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 15, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/political-headlines-march-15-2013-nra-president-wayne-lapierre-tells-vp-joe-biden-keep-your-advice-well-keep-our-guns-at-at-cpac-2013-the-40th-conservative-political-ac/
Source: ABC News Radio, 3-7-13
Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Obama signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act Thursday, expanding protections for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
“This is a country where everybody should be able to pursue their own measure of happiness and live their lives free from fear, no matter who you are, no matter who you love. That’s got to be our priority. That’s what today is about,” he said at a bill signing ceremony at the Interior Department….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 7, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/political-headlines-march-7-2013-president-barack-obama-signs-violence-against-women-reauthorization-act/
Source: WH, 3-7-13
Interior Department
Washington, D.C.
2:16 P.M. EST
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Diane. Thank you. (Applause.)
Some of you in the audience who are survivors know how much courage it takes to do what Diane did. (Applause.) Some people who don’t know will say, well, she’s just recounting what happened. But every single time you stand and recount what happened, it brings it all back. It brings it all back like a very bad nightmare. But your speaking out, Diane, and so many survivors like you are literally saving the lives of so many other women who, God willing, will be able to avoid the abuse that you had to put up with.
I want to thank all the advocates who are here today. I got a chance to meet in my office with some of you a little bit earlier — not only those on the stage who I, again, had a chance to meet with, but the many women out in the audience, as I look out and see some familiar faces like Pat Rouse and Ellie Smeal and Paulette Sullivan Moore from — I’m being parochial — Paulette Sullivan Moore from my home state, and so many others. (Applause.)
Those of you who have been around a while with me know that I quote my father all the time who literally would say, the greatest sin that could be committed, the cardinal sin of all sins was the abuse of power, and the ultimate abuse of power is for someone physically stronger and bigger to raise their hand and strike and beat someone else. In most cases that tends to be a man striking a woman, or a man or woman striking a child. That’s the fundamental premise and the overarching reason why John Conyers and I and others started so many years ago to draft the legislation called the Violence Against Women Act.
It passed 19 years ago, and that’s why we shortly thereafter instituted a hotline where women in distress could call for help. I remember, John, when we did that hotline, it was like, well, it will be useful, but I’m not so sure how much it will be used. Well, the truth of the matter is it’s been used a lot and it’s saved a lot of lives. Over 2 million women have had the courage — the courage — to try to get out of earshot of their abuser, escape from the prison of their own home, and pick up that phone and call to a line that you had no idea who on the other end was going to answer, and to say, I’m in trouble. Can you help me? Can you help me?
I love those men who would say when we started this about why don’t they just leave. Well, if they had one-third the courage that those women — those 2 million women had who have picked up the phone and called, not knowing what to expect, it would be a whole lot better nation.
We’ve built a network of shelters that are immediately available to women in need because we found out that the vast majority of children who are homeless on the street — Nancy knows and others — were there because their mothers were abused. Imagine fleeing for your life with only the clothes on your back and your child in your arms. The shelter was their only lifeline, and it’s worked.
We also have specialized law enforcement units with trained prosecutors, victim advocates, court personnel who understand the unique challenges of the access. Because of all of you in the audience that are here today, we’ve been able to train judges and train intake officers, so when a frightened woman shows up at the family court and says to the intake officer, “I want to tell you” — “Speak up, will you?” “Well, I just — my” — and they turn around and walk away, because there’s only a very brief window, as all of you know, a very brief window, again, after a woman screws up the courage — the courage — to ask for help.
All these links in the chain have made a difference in the lives of women. It’s one woman, one girl, one person at a time, one case at a time. And you providers know that better than anyone.
With all the law’s success, there are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence, who are still prisoners in their own home; too many victims that we have to mourn. We knew from the outset in 1994 that there was much more we could have done at the beginning if we were able to get the votes. But we did what was necessary and important, but we knew more had to be done to reduce domestic violence, domestic violence homicides, to provide new tools, as was just spoken to, to protect Native American women, to address the perplexing rate of dating violence among young women, and so much more.
But because of the people on this stage and in this room, every time we reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, we improved it. Every single time, we’ve improved it. (Applause.)
And we did this again. First, we’ve given jurisdiction to tribal courts over those who abuse women on reservations regardless of whether or not they — (applause.) We’re providing more resources to the states so they can be trained as to how to collect evidence, acquire convictions, particularly in prosecutions for rape. We’re going to increase the use of proven models to reduce domestic violence homicides.
We’ve all focused on the tragic gun violence that has been in the news lately, but I want to point something out to you. From 2009 to 2012, 40 percent of the mass shootings in America, other than the celebrated ones you’ve seen — 40 percent where there’s four or more people who have been shot, the target has been a former intimate partner or a close family member.
So they go into the office, just like that young man who — or woman who stood in front of you when your husband came with a loaded pistol to shoot you. Forty percent are a consequence of domestic violence.
We created a strong — strong — anti-violence program. Campuses will have more tools to educate students about sexual violence. (Applause.)
So when Congress passed this law that the President will sign today, they just didn’t renew what I consider a sacred commitment to protect our mothers, our daughters, our sisters. They strengthened that commitment. And I want to thank them. I hope I don’t leave anybody out. Starting off with my old buddy, Pat Leahy, who chairs the committee. Pat, thank you very, very much. (Applause.) And Mike Crapo. Mike, this wouldn’t have happened if you had not stepped up. (Applause.) Lisa Murkowski is not here. But my friend who — I don’t want to get her in trouble, but I know she really likes me because I like her a lot — (laughter) — Senator Collins. Seriously, it was Republicans coming and standing up and saying this has to be done in the Senate. So we owe you. We owe you big. (Applause.)
And by the way, if you ever want a partner to get anything important done, call Nancy Pelosi. Call Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.) And Steny Hoyer, and Congresswoman Moore — (applause — and my old buddy — I hope I’m not leaving anybody out here — but my old buddy, John Conyers. (Applause.) I’m sure I’m leaving someone out, for which I apologize.
Look, we all know we have a lot more to do, but we’re going to continue to make progress. And one of the reasons we’re going to continue to make progress is we’re going to have for at least three more years the President of the United States, my friend, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody! Please, everybody have a seat, have a seat.
I want to thank all of you for being here. I want to thank Secretary Salazar, my great friend, for letting us into the building. (Laughter.) Make sure, everybody, pick up their stray soda cans and stuff afterwards. (Laughter.)
I want to thank Attorney General Holder for joining us. He’s doing a great job. (Applause.)
We usually host these bill signings over at the White House. But there were just too many of you — (laughter) — who helped to make this happen. (Applause.) And you all deserve to be a part of this moment. I want to thank everybody on this stage. Joe just mentioned the extraordinary work that each and every one of these leaders — both advocates as well as legislators –
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And I left out Congressman Tom Cole.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, there you go. Give Tom a big round of applause. (Applause.)
But everybody on this stage worked extraordinarily hard. Most of all, though, this is your day. This is the day of the advocates; the day of the survivors. This is your victory.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Mr. President!
THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.)
And this victory shows that when the American people make their voices heard, Washington listens. (Applause.) So I want to join Joe in thanking all the members of Congress from both parties who came together, got this bill across the finish line.
I want to say a special thanks to Pat Leahy and Mike Crapo. (Applause.) Thank you, guys, for your leadership. (Applause.) And I want to give much love to Gwen Moore, who worked so hard on this. (Applause.)
And I also want to take a minute before I begin to thank the Senators who, just a few hours ago, took another big step towards sensible gun safety reforms by advancing a federal gun trafficking bill. That’s real progress. (Applause.) Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent legislation to the Senate floor that would crack down on folks who buy guns only to turn around and funnel them to dangerous criminals.
It’s a bill named, in part, for Hadiya Pendleton, who was murdered in Chicago earlier this year. You’ll remember I told this story about how she had marched in the Inauguration Parade, and just a few weeks later had been gunned down about a mile away from my house.
So I urge the Senate to give that bill a vote. I urge the House to follow suit. And I urge Congress to move on other areas that have support of the American people — from requiring universal background checks to getting assault weapons off our streets — because we need to stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals, and because Hadiya’s family and too many other families really do deserve a vote. (Applause.)
Finally, I want to thank Joe Biden for being such an outstanding Vice President. (Applause.) That’s right, you can stand for Joe. Stand for Joe. (Applause.) Give it up for Joe Biden. (Applause.) Joe is a hardworking Vice President.
AUDIENCE: Yes, he is!
THE PRESIDENT: And he told me when he agreed — when I asked him to be Vice President, he said, well, I don’t want to just be sitting around. (Laughter.) I said, I promise you I won’t let you just sit around. (Laughter.) And he has not. He has played a key role in forging the gun safety reforms that I talked about, largely by working closely with survivors of gun violence and their families. He forged the Violence Against Women Act 20 years ago — never forgetting who it was all about. (Applause.)
So on behalf of everybody here and all the lives that you’ve had a positive impact and touched through the Violence Against Women Act — the survivors who are alive today because of this law, the women who are no longer hiding in fear because of this law, the girls who are growing up aware of their right to be free from abuse because of this law — (applause) — on behalf of them and all their families, I want to thank Joe Biden for making this one of the causes of his career. (Applause.)
Now, as Joe said earlier, we’ve come a long way. Back when Joe wrote this law, domestic abuse was too often seen as a private matter, best hidden behind closed doors. Victims too often stayed silent or felt that they had to live in shame, that somehow they had done something wrong. Even when they went to the hospital or the police station, too often they were sent back home without any real intervention or support. They felt trapped, isolated. And as a result, domestic violence too often ended in greater tragedy.
So one of the great legacies of this law is that it didn’t just change the rules; it changed our culture. It empowered people to start speaking out. It made it okay for us, as a society, to talk about domestic abuse. It made it possible for us, as a country, to address the problem in a real and meaningful way. And it made clear to victims that they were not alone — that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side.
And today, because members of both parties worked together, we’re able to renew that commitment. Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is something I called for in my State of the Union address. And when I see how quick it got done, I’m feeling — (applause) — makes me feel optimistic. (Applause.)
Because of this bill, we’ll keep in place all the protections and services that Joe described, and, as he said, we’ll expand them to cover even more women. Because this is a country where everybody should be able to pursue their own measure of happiness and live their lives free from fear, no matter who you are, no matter who you love. (Applause.) That’s got to be our priority. That’s what today is about. (Applause.)
Today is about the millions of women — the victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault — who are out there right now looking for a lifeline, looking for support. Because of this bill, they’ll continue to have access to all the services that Joe first helped establish 19 years ago: the national hotline, network of shelters, protection orders that carry across state lines. And because of this bill, we’re also expanding housing assistance so that no woman has to choose between a violent home and no home at all. That’s what today is all about. (Applause.)
Today is about all the law enforcement officials — like Police Chief Jim Johnson — (applause) — they’re the first to respond when a victim calls for help. And because of this bill, we’re continuing all the training and support that’s proven so effective in bridging some gaps that were in actual enforcement of the law so that we can actually bring more offenders to justice. And we’re giving our law enforcement better tools to investigate cases of rape, which remains a consistently underreported crime in our country. Helping police officers deliver on the most important part of their job — preventing harm and saving lives – that’s what today is all about.
Today is about women like Diane. I’m so grateful Diane shared her story. That takes great courage. (Applause.) And tragically, it is a common story.
I know we’ve got tribal leaders here today, and I want to thank all of you for fighting so hard on behalf of your people — (applause) — to make this bill a reality. (Applause.)
Indian Country has some of the highest rates of domestic abuse in America. And one of the reasons is that when Native American women are abused on tribal lands by an attacker who is not Native American, the attacker is immune from prosecution by tribal courts. Well, as soon as I sign this bill that ends. (Applause.) That ends. That ends. (Applause.)
Tribal governments have an inherent right to protect their people, and all women deserve the right to live free from fear. And that is what today is all about. (Applause.)
Today is about all the Americans who face discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity when they seek help. (Applause.)
So I want to thank Sharon Stapel, who’s here — where did she go? There she is right there — (applause) — for the work she’s doing — the great work she’s doing with the Anti-Violence Project. But Sharon and all the other advocates who are focused on this community, they can’t do it alone. And then now they won’t have to. That’s what today is all about. That’s what today is all about. (Applause.)
Today is about the women who come to Rosie Hidalgo looking for support — (applause) — immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse. I mean, imagine the dilemma for so many — if your immigration status is tied to a husband who beats you or abuses you, if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you may feel there’s too much to lose by coming forward. The Violence Against Women Act already had protections so that victims could call the police without fear of deportation, and those protections saved lives. And because we fought hard to keep them in place, they remain a lifeline for so many women. That’s part of what today is all about. (Applause.)
Today is about young women like Tye, who was brought into the sex trade by a neighbor when she was 12 years old. Tye was rescued with the help of an organization led by trafficking survivors. Today, she’s enrolled in college. She’s working full-time to help at-risk girls stay out of the sex trade. (Applause.) Couldn’t be prouder of her. So proud of her. (Applause.) So with this bill, we reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to help more girls turn out like Tye. That’s what today is all about. (Applause.)
So today is about all the survivors, all the advocates who are standing on this stage. But it’s also about the millions more they represent — that you represent. It’s about our commitment as a country to address this problem — in every corner of America, every community, every town, every big city — as long as it takes.
And we’ve made incredible progress since 1994. But we cannot let up — not when domestic violence still kills three women a day. Not when one in five women will be a victim of rape in their lifetime. Not when one in three women is abused by a partner.
So I promise you — not just as your President, but as a son, and a husband, and a father — I’m going to keep at this. I know Vice President Biden is going to keep at it. My administration is going to keep at it for as long as it takes.
And I know that all the advocates up here, all the legislators — Republican and Democrat — who supported this, I know they could not be prouder of the work that they’ve done together. And I think I speak for all of them when we say we could not have done it without you.
So with that, let me sign this bill. (Applause.)
(The bill is signed.)
END
2:40 P.M. EST
Posted by bonniekgoodman on March 7, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/full-text-obama-presidency-march-7-2013-president-barack-obama-vice-president-joe-bidens-speeches-at-signing-of-the-violence-against-women-act/
Source: WH, 2-24-13
President Barack Obama delivers remarks and participates in a Q&A during a meeting with the National Governors Association (NGA) in the State Dining Room of the White House, Feb. 25, 2013 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Source: WH, 2- 25-13
State Dining Room
11:18 A.M. EST
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I tell you what, I didn’t know Jack was as good as he is until I heard that rhyme last night. (Laughter.) Jack, if you had done that, I’d be introducing you here. (Laughter.)
Thank you all very, very much. I’m sorry — you guys are much more disciplined than the place I lived for 36 years, up on the Hill, and you’re running ahead of schedule. And so the President is with me, and I want to thank you all for being here.
We have a lot to work on. There’s a lot from fixing a broken immigration system to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, and this new word everybody in America is learning about — “sequester.”
This town, unlike many of your capitals, is I hope temporarily frozen in — not indifference but in sort of an intense partisanship, the likes of which in my career I’ve only see the last couple years. But you know the American people have moved to a different place. By the way, thanks for being so nice to my wife last night. I like you a hell of better. (Laughter.) We disagreed on some things.
But all kidding aside, I think the American people have moved — Democrats, Republicans, independents. They know that the possibilities for this country are immense. They’re no longer traumatized by what was a traumatizing event, the great collapse in 2008. They’re no longer worried, I think, about our economy being overwhelmed either by Europe writ large, the EU, or China somehow swallowing up every bit of innovation that exists in the world. They’re no longer, I think, worried about our economy being overwhelmed beyond our shores.
And I don’t think they’re any more — there’s no — there’s very little doubt in any circles out there about America’s ability to be in position to lead the world in the 21st century, not only in terms of our foreign policy, our incredible defense establishment, but economically. I think the American people are ready to get up. As a civil rights leader, when I was coming up as a kid, said, they’re just — the American people are tired of being tired. I think they’re ready to get up and move. And you guys know that because it’s happening in your states. You probably feel it in your fingertips more than most of us do here in Washington.
And as I said, I think they know we’re better positioned than any nation in the world to lead the world. And that’s why I think they’re so frustrated by what they see and don’t see happening here in Washington. And I think their frustration is turning into a little bit of anger.
I found an interesting dynamic — without ruining any of your reputations and picking out any one of you — but whether it was a Democrat or Republican governor I had been talking to last night and over this past weekend, I heard from several of you, both parties, how do you deal with this going on up here? How do you deal with the Congress? No distinction, Democrat or Republican, depending who I was talking to, no distinction about who you’re dealing with — but how do you deal with this? Because you guys deal and women deal with legislatures that are split. Some of you represent a minority party as a governor, yet you get on very well with — you accomplish things in your home state. And as I said, I’ve been here long enough — that’s the way it used to work, and I think we can make it work that way again.
But there’s a number of things we have to do immediately, and we may disagree on how to address them, but I don’t think anybody disagrees on the need for them to be addressed — from implementing the Affordable Care Act. It’s the law. You all are grappling with that. Each of you are making different decisions, but you’re grappling with it. You’re moving and you’re making your own judgments.
We also have to — I don’t think there’s much disagreement there’s a need for immigration reform. I’ve not met a governor from the time of implementing the Recovery Act to now who doesn’t think that we have do something about our crumbling infrastructure in order to impact on our productivity here in this country — continue to attract, keep and bring back American business from abroad.
And there’s very little disagreement on the need to build an education system that has such immense possibilities for our people.
But on most of these issues we’re united by more than what divides us. All these issues intersect at a place — the ones I just mentioned and others — they intersect at a place where both the state and federal governments engage. So we’re going to have to work together. They overlap in many cases.
We’ll have our differences, but we all should agree that the United States has to once again have the highest percentage of college graduates of any nation in the world. I don’t think there’s any disagreement. Everybody agrees and some of you governors have led the way on early education and the consequences for the prospects of success for our children not only of graduating, but avoiding the criminal justice system. You’ve all led in knowing that we have to have reform of our high school system so that we — and not only finding a pathway for people who are going to four-year college and community college but go into the trades.
So there’s so much agreement that I think we ought to be able to get a fair amount done. And we should all agree that to grow our economy we have to invest in manufacturing, clean energy, infrastructure, education. The question is who invests and how much and how — we’re going to debate that. But there’s not much disagreement about the need to invest.
And I think we’re all — I’ve never met a Democrat or Republican who’s been a governor who doesn’t think that the American people should have the sense that hard work is going to be rewarded, that there’s a chance that if you work hard, you got an opportunity. I don’t know of any group of men or women who are a better living example of that than all of you sitting in front of me in your own experiences.
So the question is — we all use the phrase “move forward in a balanced way” — when one man’s balance is another man’s imbalance, but that’s what we got to talk about. That’s what’s at stake. But the one thing that I don’t think any of you lack is a vision about how great this country can be now that we’re coming back, that we ought to be able to reassert ourselves in a way that we own the 21st century. And I know the guy I’m about to introduce believes that as strongly as all of you do.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the President — who’s back with the pastry chef and I’m wondering what he’s doing back there. (Laughter.) The President of the United States, my friend, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, guys. Please have a seat. Well, welcome, everybody. Thanks for being here.
We all have a lot on our plate, everything from our immigration system to our education system. As Joe talked about, our goal is to make sure that we can be an effective partner with you.
I want to thank the members of my Cabinet who are here, and members of the administration. I want to thank Jack and Mary for their leadership of the NGA. And everybody else, I just want to say thanks to you for being on your best behavior last night. (Laughter.) I’m told nothing was broken. No silverware is missing. (Laughter.) I didn’t get any calls from the neighbors about the noise — although I can’t speak for Joe’s after-party at the Observatory. I hear that was wild. (Laughter.)
Now, I always enjoy this weekend when I have a chance to see the governors. As leaders, we share responsibility to do whatever we can to help grow our economy and create good middle-class jobs, and open up new doors of opportunity for all of our people. That’s our true north, our highest priority. And it’s got to guide every decision that we make at every level.
As I’ve said, we should be asking ourselves three questions every single day: How do we make America a magnet for good jobs? How do we equip our people with the skills and the training to get those jobs? And how do we make sure if they get those jobs that their hard work actually pays off?
As governors, you’re the ones who are on the ground, seeing firsthand every single day what works, what doesn’t work, and that’s what makes you so indispensable. Whatever your party, you ran for office to do everything that you could to make our folks’ lives better. And one thing I know unites all of us, and all of you — Democrats and Republicans — and that is the last thing you want to see is Washington get in the way of progress.
Unfortunately, in just four days, Congress is poised to allow a series of arbitrary, automatic budget cuts to kick in that will slow our economy, eliminate good jobs, and leave a lot of folks who are already pretty thinly stretched scrambling to figure out what to do.
This morning, you received a report outlining exactly how these cuts will harm middle-class families in your states. Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to deal with finding child care for their children. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose access to primary care and preventive care like flu vaccinations and cancer screenings. Tomorrow, for example, I’ll be in the Tidewater region of Virginia, where workers will sit idle when they should be repairing ships, and a carrier sits idle when it should be deploying to the Persian Gulf.
Now, these impacts will not all be felt on day one. But rest assured the uncertainty is already having an effect. Companies are preparing layoff notices. Families are preparing to cut back on expenses. And the longer these cuts are in place, the bigger the impact will become.
So while you are in town, I hope that you speak with your congressional delegation and remind them in no uncertain terms exactly what is at stake and exactly who is at risk. Because here’s the thing — these cuts do not have to happen. Congress can turn them off any time with just a little bit of compromise. To do so, Democrats like me need to acknowledge that we’re going to have to make modest reforms in Medicare if we want the program there for future generations and if we hope to maintain our ability to invest in critical things like education, research and infrastructure.
I’ve made that commitment. It’s reflected in proposals I made last year and the year before that, and will be reflected in my budget, and I stand by those commitments to make the reforms for smart spending cuts.
But we also need Republicans to adopt the same approach to tax reform that Speaker Boehner championed just two months ago. Under our concept of tax reform, nobody’s rates would go up, but we’d be able to reduce the deficit by making some tough, smart spending cuts and getting rid of wasteful tax loopholes that benefit the well-off and the well-connected.
I know that sometimes folks in Congress think that compromise is a bad word. They figure they’ll pay a higher price at the polls for working with the other side than they will for standing pat or engaging in obstructionism. But, as governors, some of you with legislators controlled by the other party, you know that compromise is essential to getting things done. And so is prioritizing, making smart choices.
That’s how Governor O’Malley in Maryland put his state on track to all but eliminate his deficit while keeping tuition down and making Maryland’s public schools among the best in America five years running. That’s how Governor Haslam balanced his budget last year in Tennessee while still investing in key areas like education for Tennessee’s kids. Like the rest of us, they know we can’t just cut our way to prosperity. Cutting alone is not an economic policy. We’ve got to make the tough, smart choices to cut what we don’t need so that we can invest in the things that we do need.
Let me highlight two examples of what we do need. The first is infrastructure. This didn’t used to be a partisan issue. I don’t know when exactly that happened. It should be a no-brainer. Businesses are not going to set up shop in places where roads and bridges and ports and schools are falling apart. They’re going to open their doors wherever they can connect the best transportation and communications networks to their businesses and to their customers.
And that’s why I proposed what we’re calling “fix-it-first” — I talked about this in my State of the Union address — to put people to work right now on urgent repairs like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the entire burden, I also proposed a partnership to rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most — modern ports to move our goods, modern pipelines to withstand a storm, modern schools that are worthy of our children.
I know that some people in Congress reflexively oppose any idea that I put forward, even if it’s an idea that they once supported, but rebuilding infrastructure is not my idea. It’s everybody’s idea. It’s what built this country. Governor Kitzhaber, a Democrat in Oregon, has made clean-energy infrastructure a top priority. Governor Brownback of Kansas, a Republican, has been fighting to upgrade water infrastructure there.
And folks who think spending really is our biggest problem should be more concerned than anybody about improving our infrastructure right now. We’re talking about deferred maintenance here. We know we’re going to have to spend the money. And the longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost. That is a fact. I think Matt Mead, a Republican, put it pretty well in Wyoming’s state address. He said failing to maintain our roads “is not a plan for being fiscally conservative.” Well, what’s true in Wyoming is true all across the United States.
And we could be putting folks back to work right now. We know contractors are begging for work. They’ll come in on time, under budget, which never happens. And we could make a whole lot of progress right now on things that we know we’re going to have to do at some point. This is like fixing the roof or repairing a boiler that’s broken. It will save us money in the long term.
I know that one of the biggest hurdles that you face when it comes to fixing infrastructure is red tape. And oftentimes, that comes out of Washington with regulations. In my first term, we started to take some steps to address that. And we’ve shaved months — in some cases, even years — off the timeline of infrastructure projects across America.
So today, I’m accelerating that effort. We’re setting up regional teams that will focus on some of the unique needs each of you have in various parts of the country. We’re going to help the Pacific Northwest move faster on renewable energy projects. We’re going to help the Northeast Corridor move faster on high-speed rail service. We’re going to help the Midwest and other states, like Colorado, move faster on projects that help farmers deal with worsening drought. We’re going to help states like North Dakota and South Dakota and Montana move faster on oil and gas production. All of these projects will get more Americans back to work faster. And we can do even more if we can get Congress to act.
The second priority that I want to talk about is education — and in particular, education that starts at the earliest age. I want to partner with each of you to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America.
Now, this is an area where we’ve already seen great bipartisan work at the state level. I was just in Governor Deal’s state to highlight this issue because Georgia has made it a priority to educate our youngest kids. And in the school district where I visited in Decatur, Georgia, you’re already seeing closing of the achievement gap. Kids who are poor are leveling up. And everybody is seeing real improvement, because it’s high-quality, early childhood education.
Study after study shows that the sooner children begin to learn in these high-quality settings, the better he or she does down the road, and we all end up saving money. Unfortunately, today fewer than three in 10 four-year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week in additional income for these kinds of preschool programs. And poor kids, who need it most, lack access. And that lack of access can shadow them for the rest of their lives. We all pay a price for that.
Every dollar we invest in early childhood education can save more than seven dollars later on — boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing incidents of violent crime.
And again, I’m not the first person to focus on this. Governor Bentley has made this a priority in Alabama. Governor Snyder is making it a priority in Michigan. Governor Tomblin has made this a priority in West Virginia. Even in a time of tight budgets, Republicans and Democrats are focused on high-quality early childhood education. We want to make sure that we can be an effective partner in that process.
We should be able to do that for every child, everywhere — Democrat, Republican, blue state, red state — it shouldn’t matter. All of us want our kids to grow up more likely to read and write and do math at grade level, to graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. That will be better for every state. That will be better for this country. That’s what high-quality early childhood education can deliver. And I hope that you’re willing to partner with us to make that happen.
Let me just close with this. There are always going to be areas where we have some genuine disagreement, here in Washington and in your respective states. But there are more areas where we can do a lot more cooperating than I think we’ve seen over the last several years. To do that, though, this town has to get past its obsession with focusing on the next election instead of the next generation.
All of us are elected officials. All of us are concerned about our politics, both in our own party’s as well as the other party’s. But at some point, we’ve got to do some governing. And certainly what we can’t do is keep careening from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. As I said in the State of the Union, the American people have worked hard and long to dig themselves out of one crisis; they don’t need us creating another one. And unfortunately, that’s what we’ve been seeing too much out there.
The American people are out there every single day, meeting their responsibilities, giving it their all to provide for their families and their communities. A lot of you are doing the same things in your respective states. Well, we need that same kind of attitude here in Washington. At the very least, the American people have a right to expect that from their representatives.
And so I look forward to working with all of you not just to strengthen our economy for the short term, but also to reignite what has always been the central premise of America’s economic engine, and that is that we build a strong, growing, thriving middle class where if you work hard in this country, no matter who you are, what you look like, you can make it; you can succeed. That’s our goal, and I know that’s the goal of all of you as well.
So I look forward to our partnering. And with that, what I want to do is clear out the press so we can take some questions. (Applause.)
END
11:40 A.M. EST
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 25, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/full-text-obama-presidency-february-25-2013-president-barack-obama-vice-president-joe-bidens-speeches-at-meeting-of-the-national-governors-association-warns-governors-about-sequest/
Source: ABC News Radio, 2-21-13
Speaking just over 10 miles away from Sandy Hook Elementary on Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden warned Congress that there is a “moral price” that will be paid if action is not taken to prevent gun violence.
“I say to my colleagues who will watch this and listen to this, I say to you, if you’re concerned about your political survival, you should be concerned about the survival of our children, and guess what? I believe the price to be paid politically will go to those who refuse to act, who refuse to step forward because America’s changed on this issue. You should all know the American people are with us,” Biden said at a conference on gun violence at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn. “There’s a moral price to be paid for inaction.”…READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 21, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/political-headlines-february-21-2013-vp-joe-biden-speech-on-gun-violence-in-connecticut-moral-price-to-be-paid-for-inaction-on-guns/
Source: WWLP 22News, 2-6-13
Although he officially took office last Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry was sworn-in again today….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 6, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/political-headlines-february-6-2013-john-kerry-officially-sworn-in-as-secretary-of-state/
Source: Politico, 1-22-13
President Barack Obama thanked thousands of staffers Tuesday night and said they have come to represent his “deepest hopes for America.”
“My main job here tonight is really simple: It’s just to say thank you,” he told the crowd of between 10,000 and 15,000 at the last inaugural ball. “All of you have come to represent for me and Michelle our deepest hopes for America.”
“The average age here is probably around 20 something. And that’s only because I’m here, which brings the average age up, quite a bit,” Obama joked, according to a pool report….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on January 22, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/inauguration-2013-january-22-2013-president-barack-obama-thanks-staffers-at-last-inaugural-ball/
Source: WH, 1-21-13
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
8:48 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Let me begin by just saying you all dress up pretty nice. (Applause.) I hope everybody is having a wonderful time. Now, those of you who are in uniform, you look outstanding. Your dates do look better, though. (Applause.) I just want to point this out. (Laughter.)
I’m not going to give a long speech. What I really want to do is come down and express the extraordinary gratitude not just of me as your Commander-in-Chief, but more importantly, the thanks of all the American people.
I want to start by thanking some of our outstanding leaders who are here: our hosts, our Senior Enlisted Advisors from all five branches of our military. (Applause.) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Marty Dempsey, who promised to sing sometime tonight, so you should hold him to it. (Laughter.) The Vice Chairman, Sandy Winnefeld, and all our outstanding members of the Joint Chiefs. Our Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Vietnam veteran, Ric Shinseki, who is here.
And we’re honored to be joined by some truly extraordinary Americans, our wounded warriors, who inspire us with their incredible strength and resolve. (Applause.) Our enlisted men and women and junior officers — the backbone of our military. (Applause.) Our amazing military families — (applause) — including the families of the fallen — our Gold Star families — we will stand with you always.
The members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen in the house. (Applause.) And the recipients of our nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. We are honored by your presence. (Applause.)
Today, we experienced the majesty of our democracy; a ritual only possible in a form of government that is of, and by and for the people; a day made possible because there are patriots like each and every one of you who defend our freedom every single day.
So this little party is just another way to say something we can never say enough: thank you. (Applause.) Thank you for volunteering. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for keeping us strong. Thank you for always making us proud. I have no greater honor than being your Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.)
It’s because of you that with honor we were able to end the war in Iraq. Because of you that we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden. (Applause.) Because of you that it’s even possible to give Afghans a chance to determine their own destiny. We are going forward, and we’ll keep our military the finest fighting force that the world has ever known.
Now, tonight, we’re also joined by some of our servicemembers in Afghanistan. They can’t see us, but we can see them on this monitor.
Who we got there? General, are you there? Abe?
MAJOR GENERAL ABRAMS: Sir, good evening. Mr. President, congratulations on your inauguration. It is Major General Abrams, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division and Regional Command-South. We’re honored to be able to join you there this evening.
Sir, I’m joined tonight by some fantastic airmen and non-commissioned officers and soldiers serving here in Kandahar.
SERGEANT JACKSON: Congratulations, Mr. President. Sergeant First Class Orlando Jackson from Lake Charles, Louisiana — 3rd Infantry Division, Falcon Brigade, Task Force Light Horse. I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done.
MASTER SERGEANT SKOWRONSKI: Mr. President, Master Sergeant Robert Skowronski, Superintendent 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, hailing from Detroit, Michigan. I want to say, go Tigers! (Applause.)
SERGEANT WOOD: Good evening, Mr. President. My name is Sergeant First Class David Wood. I’m out of Monument, Colorado — 3rd Infantry Division, Falcon Brigade, Task Force Light Horse. Thank you very much for having us here at your party. Congratulations. (Applause.)
MASTER SERGEANT GODLEWSKI: Good evening, Mr. President — Master Sergeant James Godlewski. I’m the Operations Superintendent, the 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron and the world’s greatest Air Force. (Applause.) I want to say congratulations on tonight. I hope you guys have a blessed evening. (Applause.)
MAJOR GENERAL ABRAMS: Mr. President, we’re honored to be able to join you tonight. And we’ve got one more thing for all of you there — Rock of the Marne! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) Well listen, to all of you who are there, we know it’s tough being away from your families. We know the incredible sacrifices and challenges that you meet every single day. But I can tell you that you’ve got a room full of patriots here. (Applause.) And although I’ve got to admit that they’re a little spiffied up right now — (laughter) — their heart and soul, their dedication, their sense of duty is at one with every single one of the folks who are in Kandahar right now.
And I want you to know that when I was standing on the steps of the Capitol today, looking out over close to a million people, the single-biggest cheer that I always get — and today was no different at my Inauguration — was when I spoke about the extraordinary men and women in uniform that preserve our freedom and keep our country strong. (Applause.) So know that every single day we are thinking of you.
We’re going to make sure that you’ve got the equipment, the strategy, the mission that allows you to succeed and keep our country safe. Know that we are going to be looking after and thinking about your families every single day, and that when you get back home you’re going to be greeted by a grateful nation, and that you will be on our minds tonight and every single night until our mission in Afghanistan is completed.
Can everybody please give our comrades-in-arms a huge round of applause? (Applause.) And please, all of you give our very best to your families back home, because I know it’s just as tough, if not tougher for them to see you in harm’s way and away from the family. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)
There’s one last thing I’ve got to do. I’ve got a date with me here. (Applause.) She inspires me every day. She makes me a better man and a better President. (Applause.) The fact that she is so devoted to taking care of our troops and our military families is just one more sign of her extraordinary love and grace and strength. I’m just lucky to have her. (Applause.)
I said today at the lunch over at the Congress that some may dispute the quality of our President, but nobody disputes the quality of our First Lady. (Applause.)
Ladies and gentlemen, my better half and my dance partner, Michelle Obama. (Applause.)
END
9:00 P.M. EST
Posted by bonniekgoodman on January 22, 2013
http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/full-text-inauguration-2013-january-2-2013-president-barack-obamas-speech-at-commander-in-chief-inaugural-ball/
Full Coverage of President Barack Obama's Middle East Tour & Israel Visit from March 20-23, 2013 @ Obama Israel Visit
