THE WASHINGTON REVIEW & COMMENTARY: Weekly News From The White House

In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing, the Economic Daily Briefing, and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office.  

In the evening, the President will sign an Executive Order on the employment of veterans in the federal government in the Oval Office. Through this Executive Order, the President will make the Federal Government the model employer of Veterans. The Executive Order establishes a Council on Veterans Employment and a Veterans Employment Program office within most Federal agencies.  

The President will then meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office.

President Barack Obama, November 8, 2009

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM LEGISLATION

Rose Garden

1:05 P.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just want to say a few words about two milestones that have passed in the last few hours that represent encouraging progress for our country.

     The first was the historic vote the House took last night on health insurance reform.  For years we’ve been told that this couldn’t be done.  After all, neither chamber of Congress has been able to pass a comprehensive health insurance reform bill for generations.  But last night the House proved differently. 

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government, while strengthening the financial health of Medicare.  It is legislation that is fully paid for and it will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Given the heated and often misleading rhetoric surrounding this legislation I know that this was a courageous vote for many members of Congress, and I’m grateful to them and for the rest of their colleagues for taking us this far.  But more importantly, so are the millions of Americans whose lives will change when we achieve insurance reform — families with preexisting conditions who will finally have insurance coverage; parents who will be protected from annual and lifetime limits that can force them to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for a child’s illness; small businesses that will finally be able to cover their employees; and working folks who will finally be able to afford health insurance for the very first time.

Americans like Katie Gibson, a cancer survivor from Bozeman, Montana, who shared her story with me this summer.  Because of a medical condition Katie’s insurance policy was suddenly revoked when she needed it most, even though she was paying her premiums. I called Katie this morning and I told her that when the bill that passed last night becomes law we’ll be able to protect Americans just like her from the kinds of insurance company abuses she had to endure.  And I told her that it was because of her willingness to share her story and the extraordinary activism that she and people like her all across the country displayed — not just this year, but over the last several years — that we are finally this close to getting reform done. 

Their lives are what’s at stake in this debate, and moments like this are why they sent us here — to finally meet the challenges that Washington has put off for decades; to make their lives better and this nation stronger; to move America forward.  That’s what the House did last night when it brought us closer than we have ever been to comprehensive health insurance reform in America.

Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people.  And I’m absolutely confident that they will.  I’m equally convinced that on the day that we gather here at the White House and I sign comprehensive health insurance reform legislation into law, they’ll be able to join their House colleagues and say that this was their finest moment in public service — the moment we delivered change we promised to the American people and did something to leave this country stronger than we found it.

The second development I want to mention is a significant breakthrough in Iraq, where Iraq’s parliament has approved a new election law that paves the way for national elections early next year.  This is an important milestone as the Iraqi people continue to take responsibility for their future. 

I want to congratulate Iraq’s leaders for reaching this agreement.  Their flexibility and commitment to their country sends an important signal to the world about Iraq’s democracy and national unity.  And I look forward to prompt approval of this law by Iraq’s Presidency Council.

Iraq has known many challenges, and in the past several weeks we’ve seen that there are still those who would kill innocent men, women and children to deny the Iraqi people the future they deserve.  Today’s step forward is another reminder that these enemies of the Iraqi people will fail.

The United States will continue to stand with Iraq as a strong partner and as a friend.  Tough challenges remain and I’m sure that there will be difficult days to come.  But this agreement advances the political progress that can bring lasting peace and unity to Iraq, and allow for the orderly and responsible transition of American combat troops out of Iraq by next September.

So I want to congratulate our troops and civilians who are serving so capably in Iraq, and I want to congratulate the Iraqi people who have taken an important step forward in pursuit of a better future.

There’s much more work to be done, but with today’s news we’re continuing to move in the right direction as we continue to look forward to Iraqi elections early next year.

Thank you very much.

On Friday, November 6, 2009, the President signed into law:

H.J.Res. 26, which proclaims Casimir Pulaski to be an honorary citizen of the United States posthumously;

H.R. 1209, the “Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009,” which requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861;

H.R. 3548, the “Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009,” which provides an additional 14 weeks of emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) in all States and six additional weeks of EUC in very high unemployment States; extends the Federal Unemployment Tax Act surtax through June 30, 2011; extends the $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit through April 30, 2010, and provides a $6,500 credit to certain other homebuyers through April 30, 2010; increases from two to five preceding years the period for which businesses can offset net operation losses in 2008 and 2009 against income; and makes certain other changes to Federal unemployment programs and tax laws;

H.R. 3606, the “Credit CARD Technical Corrections Act of 2009,” which amends the Truth in Lending Act to make a technical correction to an amendment made by the Credit CARD Act of 2009;

S. 832, which grants a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America; and

S. 1694, which allows funding for the Commerce Department’s Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program to remain available for an additional two years through FY 2012.

Remarks of President Barack Obama

As Prepared for Delivery

Weekly Address

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I’d like to speak with you for a few minutes today about the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood. This past Thursday, on a clear Texas afternoon, an Army psychiatrist walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, and began shooting his fellow soldiers.

It is an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America. It is a crime that would have horrified us had its victims been Americans of any background. But it’s all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims.

The SRP is where our men and women in uniform go before getting deployed. It’s where they get their teeth checked and their medical records updated and make sure everything is in order before getting shipped out. It was in this place, on a base where our soldiers ought to feel most safe, where those brave Americans who are preparing to risk their lives in defense of our nation, lost their lives in a crime against our nation.

Soldiers stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world called and emailed loved ones at Ft. Hood, all expressing the same stunned reaction: I’m supposed to be the one in harm’s way, not you.

Thursday’s shooting was one of the most devastating ever committed on an American military base. And yet, even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America. We saw soldiers and civilians alike rushing to aid fallen comrades; tearing off bullet-riddled clothes to treat the injured; using blouses as tourniquets; taking down the shooter even as they bore wounds themselves.

We saw soldiers bringing to bear on our own soil the skills they had been trained to use abroad; skills that been honed through years of determined effort for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect and defend the United States of America.

We saw the valor, selflessness, and unity of purpose that make our servicemen and women the finest fighting force on Earth; that make the United States military the best the world has ever known; and that make all of us proud to be Americans.

On Friday, I met with FBI Director Mueller, Defense Secretary Gates, and representatives of the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what led to this terrible crime. And I’ll continue to be in close contact with them as new information comes in.

We cannot fully know what leads a man to do such a thing. But what we do know is that our thoughts are with every single one of the men and women who were injured at Ft. Hood. Our thoughts are with all the families who’ve lost a loved one in this national tragedy. And our thoughts are with all the Americans who wear – or who’ve worn – the proud uniform of the United States of America; our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and coast guardsmen, and the military families who love and support them.

In tribute to those who fell at Ft. Hood, I’ve ordered flags flying over the White House, and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff from now until Veterans Day next Wednesday. Veterans Day is our chance to honor those Americans who’ve served on battlefields from Lexington to Antietam, Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Ramadi to Kandahar.

They are Americans of every race, faith, and station. They are Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and nonbelievers. They are descendents of immigrants and immigrants themselves. They reflect the diversity that makes this America. But what they share is a patriotism like no other. What they share is a commitment to country that has been tested and proved worthy. What they share is the same unflinching courage, unblinking compassion, and uncommon camaraderie that the soldiers and civilians of Ft. Hood showed America and showed the world.

These are the men and women we honor today. These are the men and women we’ll honor on Veterans Day. And these are the men and women we shall honor every day, in times of war and times of peace, so long as our nation endures.

President Barack Obama and lawmaker on Capital Hill - November 7, 2009

Tonight the President called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democratic House leaders to thank them for their hard work and to congratulate them on the historic passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.  The President also called Barry Rand, CEO of  AARP; Rebecca Patton, President of the American Nurses Association; and Rebecca Patchin, chair of the Board of Trustees of AMA, to thank them for their support, which was critical to passage of this landmark legislation. 

Statement of President Barack Obama on House Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act

Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare.  And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America.  Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation.  I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.

The U.S. House of Representatives has just passed the historical health care reform bill. The official vote is noted on record as 220 – 215.

Rep. Joseph Cao, (R-LA) was the lone Republican voting for the bill’s passage. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the legislation.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON THE UPCOMING VOTE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ON HEALTH CARE REFORM

Rose Garden

1:20 P.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just want to say a few words about the landmark vote that the House of Representatives is poised to take today — a vote that can bring us one step closer to making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

     For the better part of a year now, members of the House and the Senate have been working diligently and constructively to craft legislation that will benefit millions of American families and millions of American businesses who urgently need it.  For the first time ever, they’ve passed bills through every single committee responsible for reform.  They’ve brought us closer than we have ever been to passing health insurance reform on behalf of the American people.

     Now is the time to finish the job.  The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don’t; and lower costs for American families and American businesses.  And as I’ve insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit.

     This bill is change that the American people urgently need. Don’t just take my word for it.  Consider the national groups who’ve come out in support of this bill on behalf of their members:  The Consumers Union supports it because it will create — and I quote — “a more secure, affordable health care system for the American people.” 

The American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association support it on behalf of doctors and nurses and medical professionals who know firsthand what’s broken in our current system, and who see what happens when their patients can’t get the care they need because of insurance industry bureaucracies.

     The National Farmers Union supports this bill because it will control costs for farmers and ranchers, and address the unique challenges rural Americans face when it comes to receiving quality care.

     And the AARP supports it because it will achieve the goal for which the AARP has been fighting for decades — reducing the cost of health care, expanding coverage for America’s seniors, and strengthening Medicare for the long haul.

     Now, no bill can ever contain everything that everybody wants, or please every constituency and every district.  That’s an impossible task.  But what is possible, what’s in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year 18,000 Americans die because they don’t have it; a future where crushing costs keep small businesses from succeeding and big businesses from competing in the global economy; a future where countless dreams are deferred or scaled back because of a broken system we could have fixed when we had the chance.

     What we can do right now is choose a better future and pass a bill that brings us to the very cusp of building what so many generations of Americans have sought to build — a better health care system for this country.

     Millions of Americans are watching right now.  Their families and their businesses are counting on us.  After all, this is why they sent us here, to finally confront the challenges that Washington had been putting off for decades — to make their lives better, to leave this country stronger than we found it. 

     I just came from the Hill where I talked to the members of Congress there, and I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation.  Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country.  This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us — even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard.  This is our moment to deliver.

     I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment.  Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America.

     Thanks.

President Barack Obama leaving Oval Office for Walter Reed Medical Center, November 6, 2009

November 6, 2009

Remarks by the President in the Rose Garden

11:33 A.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  I want to begin by offering an update on the tragedy that took place yesterday at Fort Hood.

     This morning I met with FBI Director Mueller and the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what caused one individual to turn his gun on fellow servicemen and women.  We don’t know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.

     What we do know is that there are families, friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday in one of the worst mass shootings ever to take place on an American military base.  So from now until Veterans Day I’ve ordered the flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be flown at half-staff.  This is a modest tribute to those who lost their lives even as many were preparing to risk their lives for their country.  And it’s also recognition of the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to protect our safety and uphold our values.  We honor their service, we stand in awe of their sacrifice, and we pray for the safety of those who fight and for the families of those who have fallen.  And as we continue to learn more about what happened at Fort Hood, this administration will continue to provide you updates in the coming days and weeks.

     Now, I would also like to announce that I just signed into law a bill that will help grow our economy, save and create new jobs and provide relief to struggling families and businesses.  The need for such a measure was made clear by the jobs report that we received this morning.  Although we lost fewer jobs than we did last month, our unemployment rate climbed to over 10 percent — a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead.

     When we first came into office our immediate goal was to stop the freefall that caused our economy to shrink at an alarming rate.  We have succeeded in achieving that goal, as our economy grew last quarter for the first time in a year.  But history tells us that job growth always lags behind economic growth, which is why we have to continue to pursue measures that will create new jobs.  And I can promise you that I won’t let up until the Americans who want to find work can find work and until all Americans can earn enough to raise their families and keep their businesses open.

     The bill I signed today will help folks do that while continuing to grow our economy.  It’s a bill that extends unemployment benefits for up to 20 additional weeks, with the longest extension for the hardest-hit states.  Already these benefits have helped 16 million unemployed Americans, and now that I’ve signed this bill, an additional 700,000 Americans who are still searching for work will be able to sign up for an extension of those benefits immediately.

     Although the extension will help over 1 million Americans, it won’t just put money into the people’s pockets who are receiving the benefits.  Economists tell us that when these benefits are spent on food or clothing or rent, it actually strengthens our economy and creates new jobs.

     Now, this bill will also cut taxes for struggling businesses, with even larger cuts for small businesses, which means that thousands of entrepreneurs will get the cash they need to avoid laying off workers or closing their doors, and will extend the tax credit for all home buyers through April of next year while strengthening it with stronger anti-fraud measures.

     The rebound in the housing market was one of the big factors that contributed to the growth of the economy last quarter, and brought hundreds of thousands of families into the housing market.  We want to give even more families the chance to own their own home.

     Now, it’s important to note that the bill I signed will not add to our deficit.  It is fully paid for, and so it is fiscally responsible.  It builds on a Recovery Act that’s already saved or created over 100 — over 1 million jobs, and it will lead to even more in the weeks and months ahead.

     We will also build on the measure I signed today with further steps to grow our economy in the future.  To that end my economic team is looking at ideas such as additional investments in our aging roads and bridges, incentives to encourage families and businesses to make buildings more energy-efficient, additional tax cuts for businesses to create jobs, additional steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses, and an aggressive agenda to promote exports and help American manufacturers sell their products around the world.

     So although it will take time and it will take patience, I am confident that our economy will recover.  I’m confident that we’re moving in the right direction.  And I promise that I won’t rest until America prospers once again.

     Thank you, everybody.

Fact Sheet: The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009

Creating Jobs, Strengthening the Recovery, and Helping Workers Who Cannot Find Jobs

Today, President Obama signed legislation to help create jobs by providing tax cuts for homebuyers and businesses, while providing much-needed support for workers who are still struggling to find jobs. These three steps are part the President’s strategy to help the economy grow.

Last year, our economy was in a freefall. Some economists were predicting that we were headed into a second Great Depression. The Obama Administration took aggressive steps to stem the spread of foreclosure, get credit flowing for families and businesses, and enact the most sweeping recovery package in history. Those steps have succeeded in pulling our economy back from the brink and putting us on a path to recovery. Our economy has returned to growth, which is a critical first step to getting job growth going again.

Today’s legislation builds on the successes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help spur job creation and help struggling workers. It is fiscally responsible, paid for by postponing tax provisions benefiting U.S. multinational corporations and other measures. The Administration will continue working to create jobs, boost the economy, and lay a new foundation for growth.

TODAY’S STEPS TO CREATE JOBS AND HELP WORKERS

While we have pulled the economy back from the brink and there are signs of a recovery underway, there is an enormous amount of work that remains to be done. There are still too many Americans without jobs and too many families in pain. This bill:

• Strengthens the Safety Net for Workers Who Cannot Find Jobs – Immediately Helping 700,000 People and Eventually Helping Over a Million. There are millions of workers who want and need a job but cannot find one. There are 5.6 million workers who have been unemployed for at least 27 weeks. These long-term unemployed workers make up 36 percent of unemployed workers, the highest share in history. Today’s legislation will allow up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment insurance, with the most weeks going to workers in states with the highest unemployed rates. It will give immediate help to 700,000 people who have already exhausted their benefits but still cannot find work. In total, over a million workers will benefit and receive an average of $300 per week. In addition to helping struggling families, economists say unemployment benefits are one of the best ways to strengthen the economy and create jobs because they are often spent quickly on needs like rent and groceries.

• Creates Jobs by Cutting Taxes for Struggling Businesses. The bill provides an expanded tax cut to tens of thousands of struggling businesses, providing them with the immediate cash they need to pursue an expansion or avoid contracting or furloughing their workers. The Economic Recovery Act included a provision that allowed small businesses to count their losses this year against the taxes they paid in previous years. Today, the President extended that benefit for an additional year and expanded it to medium and large businesses as well. Business losses incurred in 2008 or 2009 can now be used to recoup taxes paid in the prior five years. This provision is a fiscally responsible economic kick-start, putting $33 billion of tax cuts in the hands of businesses this year when they need it most, while enabling Treasury to recoup the majority of that funding in the coming years as these businesses regain their strength and resume paying taxes.

• Extends and Expands the Homebuyer Credit with Strong Anti-Fraud Measures. The Homebuyers Tax Credit is a temporary but important measure to continue economic recovery.  Today, the President is signing a one-time extension of the credit for homes purchased or under contract by April 30, 2010. A credit of up to $8,000 will apply to qualifying first-time buyers, and a smaller credit of up $6,500 will now apply to families that have lived in their homes for at least five years and wish to step up to a new home. The new law extends a similar credit until May, 2011 for members of the uniformed services whose duty takes them overseas. The new law also contains important measures to combat tax fraud and protect responsible homebuyers, including setting a minimum age for home purchase and requiring documentary proof of the purchase in order to receive the credit.

• Other Steps to Close the Deficit and Strengthen the Economy. The legislation pays for these new steps, principally by postponing tax provisions benefiting U.S. multinational corporations. It also helps military families by clarifying that military base realignment and closure payments – added as part of the recovery act – are tax exempt.

BUILDING ON THE SUCCESSES OF THE RECOVERY ACT

Today’s steps build on the successes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Obama last February. The ARRA:

• Modernized and Expanded Unemployment Insurance:  The recovery act included an unprecedented investment in unemployment benefits, including up to 79 weeks of benefits in the hardest-hit areas, a $25-a-week supplement to benefits, and incentives for states to expand coverage to part-time workers and take other steps to modernize their unemployment systems. The law also cut taxes on up to $2,400 in unemployment benefits and created a tax credit that pays 65 percent of health insurance premiums for unemployed workers. These provisions helped keep 800,000 people out of poverty, according to estimates developed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

• Created Jobs by Cutting Taxes on Businesses: The ARRA allowed small businesses to use the 2008 operating losses to get a refund of taxes paid in prior years. Like today’s provision, much of the revenue would be recouped in future years. The ARRA provision was projected to provide $5 billion in tax relief for small businesses in 2009 at a ten-year cost of only $1 billion.

• Expanded the First-Time Homebuyer Credit: The $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit enacted in ARRA has brought many new families into the housing market. Those buyers, in turn, have reduced the inventory of unsold homes and contributed to three months in a row of increases in home prices nationwide. Residential housing investment grew 23 percent in the third quarter, one of the contributors to positive economic growth.

Statement by Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer on the Employment Situation in October

“Today’s employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness.

Payroll employment declined 190,000 in October, continuing the steady trend of moderating job loss that began last spring.  Furthermore, the employment loss in both August and September was revised down substantially.  Importantly, employment in temporary help services, typically one of the first industries to see job gains, increased by 33,700.  The motor vehicle industry also posted employment gains.  These are hopeful signs that the unprecedented policy actions are working to stabilize the economy and put us on a path toward recovery.

The unemployment rate, however, rose four-tenths of a percentage point, to 10.2 percent.  That this occurred despite the rise in real GDP last quarter reflects both the typical lag between GDP growth and unemployment decline, and the recent exceptional increases in productivity.  Having the unemployment rate reach double-digits is a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done before American families see the job gains and reduced unemployment that they need and deserve.”

This statement and a chart can be found online at:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/06/employment-situation-october

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

H.R. 3082 — Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010

(Sen. Inouye, D-Hawaii)

The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of H.R. 3082, with the Committee-reported text of S. 1407, making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010.

For the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), this legislation answers the President’s call to expand the care and benefits that the Nation provides to our veterans.  The President has put forward a plan to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years, honoring veterans’ service by providing more generous funding for their health care.  The President also would create Centers of Excellence for VA medical care, with specialty services in areas like prosthetics, vision, spinal cord injury, aging, and women’s health.  Importantly, the President believes that the VA must be better prepared to care for the veterans of current conflicts with special focus on mental health screening and treatment for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.  The VA will provide better outreach in rural areas with new Vet Centers and mobile health clinics.

The legislation, as considered by the Committee, rises to the President’s challenge.  It invests critical new dollars in programs that will significantly improve the quality of care and services for our Nation’s veterans.  Millions of patients, including more than 419,000 veterans of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, will receive medical treatment as a result of these investments.  The legislation takes important steps forward to support the Administration’s efforts to transform the VA into an agile, adaptive organization that is responsive to the changing needs of the veterans community.

The Administration would like to take this opportunity to share additional views regarding the Committee’s version of the bill.

Military Construction

The Administration appreciates the overall level of funding provided for military construction projects.  However, the Administration is concerned that the bill funds several of these projects incrementally, including a critical National Security Agency facility.  Consistent with the President’s Budget, the Administration encourages full funding of these programs to make the most efficient use of taxpayer resources.

Guam Relocation

The Administration is concerned with the $211 million reduction in military construction funding related to the Marines realignment from Japan to Guam.  This level of reduction will adversely impact the agreement reached between the United States and Japan in February 2009. 

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Administration appreciates the Committee’s support to VA and for providing advance appropriations for VA’s Medical Care accounts so that veterans will always be provided, without interruption, the timely, accessible, and high-quality medical care they deserve.

Constitutional Concerns

Section 113 is phrased in a manner that could be construed to require the Executive Branch, without discretion, to notify the Congress 30 days in advance of certain military exercises, in which case it would intrude on the President’s discharge of his constitutional authorities and duties to protect national security.  As a means of avoiding any constitutional difficulty, the Administration recommends revising section 113 to make explicit that 30 days advance notice to the Congress is required where feasible and consistent with the President’s constitutional responsibilities to protect national security.

“Now, I have to say, though, that beyond that, I plan to make some broader remarks about the challenges that lay ahead for Native Americans, as well as collaboration with our administration, but as some of you might have heard, there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.  We don’t yet know all the details at this moment; we will share them as we get them.  What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

     My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen, and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood.  These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis.  It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas.  It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

     I’ve spoken to Secretary Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in.  We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government.

     In the meantime, I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers.  We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident.  And I want all of you to know that as Commander-in-Chief, there’s no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.

     So we are going to stay on this.  But I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy, and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers.”

Major Nidal Hasan

President Obama called the shootings at Fort Hood Thursday “horrifying.” As more information is released, a picture of the psychological profile of the alleged gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan is slowly coming together.

 Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, went on a terrifying rampage early Thursday afternoon killing thirteen and wounding at least thirty-one. It is suspected that Maj. Hasan was deeply disturbed over news regarding his upcoming deployment to Iraq.  Maj. Hasan provided psychiatric counseling to returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. A devout Muslim since 1997, Hasan found a conflict between his religious beliefs and that of his duty to the uniform he wore.

Nadar Hasan, 40,  told the New York Times that his cousin “was mortified by the idea of having to deploy. He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there.”

“He (Maj. Hasan) was doing everything he could to avoid (deployment). He wanted to do whatever he could within the rules to make sure he wouldn’t go over (to Iraq).”

It has also been reported that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan suffered severe harassment regarding his religious affiliation with Islam. Military officials, according to some majort news outlets, were well aware of Maj. Hasan’s concerns about being deployed to Iraq where the possiblity of fighting and killing another Muslim was more than likely and for Hasan, this was unacceptable.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is currently being treated for multiple gunshot wounds and is in the custody of military authorities.

President Barack Obama will sign the unemployment extension bill Friday. The states with the highest numbers of unemployment will receive a twenty week extension.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN

IN DISCUSSION WITH STUDENTS

James C. Wright Middle School

Madison, Wisconsin

1:05 P.M. CST

     SECRETARY DUNCAN:  Well, we’re thrilled to be here and this is a school that’s getting better and better, and you guys are working really, really hard.  And we’ve been lucky.  We have a President here who has got a tough, tough job.  Being President is tough without the — he’s fighting two wars, a really, really tough economy — I like your shirt.

     STUDENT:  Thanks.  (Laughter.)

     SECRETARY DUNCAN:  And what amazes me is that week after week, month after month, he just keeps coming back to education, and he’s absolutely passionate about it.  He and his wife, the First Lady Michelle Obama, received great educations.  Neither one was born with a lot of money, but they worked really hard and had great teachers and great principals and made the most of it.  And now he’s our President.  So it’s a pretty remarkable journey.  The only reason he’s the President is because he got a great education.

     So we’re thrilled to be here.  He might want to say a few things, and looks like you guys have questions for him.  And so we’ll be quick and we’ll open up to your questions.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it is good to see all of you.  Thanks so much for having us.

     First of all, I’ve got a great Secretary of Education in Arne Duncan.  So he helps school districts all across the country in trying to figure out how to improve what’s going on in the schools.  And let me just pick up on something that Arne said earlier.

     I was really lucky to have a great education.  I didn’t have a lot of money.  My parents weren’t famous.  In fact, my father left when I was two years old, so I really didn’t grow up with a father in the house; mostly it was my mom and my grandparents.  But they always emphasized education and they were able to send me to good schools, and by working hard I was obviously in a position to do some good stuff.

     My wife, Michelle, same thing.  She grew up on the South Side of Chicago.  Her dad was actually disabled, he had multiple sclerosis, but he still worked every day in a blue collar job.  And her mom didn’t work, and when she did she was a secretary.  But because she worked really hard in school she ended up getting a scholarship to Princeton and to Harvard Law School and ended up really being able to achieve a lot.

     So that’s the reason why we are spending a lot of time talking to folks like you, because we want all of you to understand that there’s nothing more important than what you’re doing right here at this school.  And Wright has a great reputation, this school is improving all the time, but ultimately how good a school is depends on how well you guys are doing. 

     And the main message that I just wanted to deliver to you is, every single one of you could be doing the same kinds of things that Arne is doing or I’m doing or you could be running a company or you can be inventing a product or you could — look, anything you can imagine, you can accomplish, but the only way you do it is if you’re succeeding here in school.  And we are spending a lot of money to try to improve school buildings and put computers in and make sure that your teachers are well trained and that they are getting the support they need. 

     So we’re working really hard to try to reform the schools, but ultimately what matters most is how badly you want a good education.  If you think that somehow somebody is just going to — you can tilt your head and somebody is going to pour education in your ear, that’s just not how it works.  The only way that you end up being in a position to achieve is if you want it, if inside you want it. 

     And part of the reason why we wanted to talk to you guys is, you’re right at the point now in your lives where what you do is really going to start mattering.  My daughters are a little younger than you — Malia is 11, Sasha is eight — but when you’re in grade school, you’re playing — hopefully somebody is making sure you’re doing your homework when you get it, but to some degree you’re still just kind of learning how to learn. 

     By the time you get to middle school, you’re now going to be confronted with a lot of choices.  You’re going to start entering those teenage years where there are a lot of distractions and in some places people will say you don’t need to worry about school or it’s uncool to be smart or — you know, all kinds of things.  And, look, I’ll be honest, I went through some of that when I was in high school and I made some mistakes and had some setbacks. 

     So I just want everybody to understand right now that nothing is going to be more important to you than just being hungry for knowledge.  And if all of you decide to do that, then there are going to be teachers and principals and secretaries of education who are going to be there to help you.  So hopefully you guys will take that all to heart.

     All right.  Okay.  Now we’re going to kick out everybody so I can let you — you guys can ask me all the really tough questions without having the press here.

President Barack Obama In Madison, Wisconsin

Remarks of President Barack Obama—As Prepared for Delivery

Race to the Top Announcement

Madison, Wisconsin

November 4, 2009

Hello, Wright Middle School! It’s wonderful to be back in Madison and back in Wisconsin. I’ve heard great things about Wright so I’ve got high expectations for all the students here. And I hope you’ll keep up the good work so you can go on to succeed in high school, in college, and for the rest of your lives.

One year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see. Election Day was a day of hope and possibility, but it was also a sobering one because we knew that we faced an array of challenges that would test us as a people. A financial crisis that threatened to plunge our economy into another Great Depression. Record deficits. Two wars. Frayed alliances around the world.

Facing this reality, my administration had two fundamental obligations. The first was to rescue our economy from imminent collapse. And while we still have a long way to go, we have made meaningful progress toward achieving this goal. We acted boldly and swiftly to pass a Recovery Act that has made a difference for families here in Wisconsin and across America. We’ve put a tax cut in the pockets of 95 percent of hardworking families, and created or saved over one million jobs, including nearly 4,000 education jobs in Wisconsin. We’ve taken steps to unlock our frozen credit markets so that Americans can get the loans they need to buy a home or a car, go to college or start a new business. And we’ve enacted measures to stem the crisis in our housing market to help responsible homeowners stay in their homes and curb the decline of home values.

All of this has contributed to the first quarter of economic growth in over a year.  The rate of job loss is slowing, though not nearly fast enough yet.  The work continues, but we are moving in the right direction, and we will continue to fulfill our obligation to do every responsible thing to pull this economy out of the ditch in which we found it.

But we also came into office with another obligation – not simply to do what needed to be done in the short-term, but to make those long-term investments necessary to rebuild our economy stronger than before. It was an obligation to tackle the festering problems that had been kicked down the road year after year, decade after decade; problems that had to be overcome in order for us to move America forward. That’s why we’re taking up the cause of a better health care system that works for our people, our businesses, and our government alike. That’s why we’re taking up the cause of a clean energy economy that will free America from the grip of foreign oil and generate millions of good-paying jobs in the process. And that’s why we’re taking up the cause I’m here to talk about today – offering the best possible education to America’s sons and daughters.

The prosperity of our nation has long rested on how well we educate our children. But this has never been more true than it is today. In the 21^st century – when countries that out-educate us today will outcompete us tomorrow – there is nothing that will determine the quality of our future as a nation or the lives our children will lead more than the kind of education we provide them.

Here’s what we know: over the course of a lifetime, those with a college degree earn over 60 percent more than those with only a high school diploma. Many of the fastest growing jobs require a Bachelors degree or more. And four of every ten new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training within the next decade. Put simply, the right education is a prerequisite to success. It is the currency of our knowledge economy.

And yet, we continue to trail other countries in a number of critical areas. The United States, a nation that has always led the way in innovation, is now being outpaced in math and science education. A handful of states have even gone in the wrong direction, lowering their standards at the very moment we should be raising them. Meanwhile, African-American and Latino students continue to lag behind white classmates – an achievement gap that ultimately costs us hundreds of billions of dollars.

Of course, these problems aren’t new. We’ve heard about them for years. But instead of coming together to solve them, we’ve let partisanship and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. It’s been Democrat versus Republican, vouchers versus better public schools, more resources versus more reform. This status quo has held back our children, it has held back our economy, and it has held back our country long enough. It’s time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it. It’s time to make education America’s national mission.

And I’m proud to say that thanks to one of the best education secretaries America has ever had, Arne Duncan, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. In the coming weeks, states will be able to compete for what we’re calling a Race to the Top award. We’re putting over $4 billion on the table – one of the largest investments America has ever made in education reform. But we’re not just handing it out to states that want it. We’re challenging states to compete for it. We’re saying, if you’re committed to real change in the way you educate your kids; if you’re willing to hold yourselves more accountable; if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, we’ll offer you a grant to help make that plan a reality.

Now, before a state is even eligible to compete, they’ll have to take an important first step. Any state that has so-called firewall laws will have to remove them – because it shouldn’t be against the law to factor in the performance of students when you’re evaluating their teachers. And we’ll also encourage states to take a better approach when it comes to charter schools and other innovative public schools. When these schools are performing poorly, they should be shut down. But when innovative public schools are succeeding, they shouldn’t be stifled – they should be supported.

I’m proud to say that a number of states have already taken up these challenges. Across this country, different groups are coming together to bring about change in our schools – teachers unions and parents’ groups, businesses and community organizations. In places like New Haven, educators and city leaders have come together to find a smarter way to evaluate teachers and turn around low-performing schools. States like California, Indiana, and Wisconsin are taking steps to remove so-called firewall laws so we can have a clear look at how well our children are learning, and what can be done to help them do better. And states like Delaware and Louisiana, Tennessee and Illinois are making efforts to let innovative charter schools flourish.

So, a race to the top has begun in our schools, but the real competition will begin when states apply for Race to the Top grants.  We’ll take a hard look at a state’s application to determine whether it measures up. We’ll look at a state’s track record to determine whether the steps they’ve taken have had real results when it comes to their students’ education.  We’ll look at whether states are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach when it comes to reform. And in particular, we’ll look at how states are doing when it comes to four key measures of reform.

The first measure is whether a state is committed to setting higher standards and better assessments that prepare our children to succeed in the 21^st century. I’m pleased to report that 48 states are now working to develop internationally competitive standards. This is something I called for earlier this year, and I want to commend the leadership of the governors, and school chiefs who’ve joined together to get this done. Because of these efforts, there will be a set of common standards that any state can adopt beginning early next year. And I urge all our states to do so and to upgrade what’s taught in the classroom accordingly.

I also challenge states to align their assessments with high standards – because we shouldn’t just raise the bar, we should prepare our kids to meet it. Understand, this isn’t about more tests, and it’s not about teaching to the test. It’s about finally getting testing right. It’s about measuring not only whether our kids can master the basics, but whether they can solve challenging tasks, and possess skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and entrepreneurship; assessments that don’t just give us a snapshot of how a student is doing in a particular subject, but a big picture look at how they’re learning overall; assessments that will help tell us if our kids have the knowledge and skills to thrive when they graduate. These are the kinds of assessments our states should be putting in place and we’re setting up a separate competition where they can win grants to help them do just that.

So, standards and assessments is the first measure. And because we know that from the moment our kids enter a school, the most important factor in their success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, the second measure is whether a state is committed to putting effective teachers in its classrooms and effective principals at the helm of its schools. It’s time to start taking this commitment seriously. It’s time to do a better job recruiting and preparing new teachers, rewarding outstanding teachers, and moving bad teachers out of the classroom. That means creating alternate pathways to teaching for talented young people by expanding programs like the one used in Boston, where aspiring teachers work side-by-side with effective mentors in a year-long residency. It means bringing quality teachers to the neighborhoods that need them most. It means boosting the numbers of quality teachers who can help our special education and English language learners meet high standards – as you’ve done here at Wright. And it means improving instruction in science, technology, reading and math, and ensuring that more women and people of color are doing well in those subjects.

The third measure we’ll use is whether states are tracking the progress of our students and teachers to make sure every child graduates ready for college and a career. As I said earlier, before a state can even apply for grant, it has to change any laws that prevent us from factoring in the performance of students when we’re evaluating their teachers. But that’s not enough. If a state wants to increase its chances of actually winning a grant, it will have to do more. It will have to collect information about how students are doing in a particular year – and over the course of an academic career – and make this information available to teachers so they can use it to improve the way they teach. That’s how teachers can determine what they should be doing differently in the classroom. That’s how principals can determine what changes need to be made in our schools. And that’s how school districts can determine what they need to be doing better to prepare our teachers and principals.

Now, even with stronger standards, better assessments, and outstanding teachers, some schools will still be difficult to turn around. That’s why the fourth measure we’ll use in awarding Race to the Top grants is whether a state is focused on transforming its lowest-performing schools. We’ll look at whether they’re willing to remake a school from top-to-bottom with new leaders and a new way of teaching, replace a schools’ principal and at least half its staff, close a school for a time and reopen it under new management, or even shut a school down entirely and send its students to a better one nearby. These are the kinds of vigorous strategies that are necessary to turn around our most troubled schools.

Transforming our lowest-performing schools. Using timely information to improve the way we teach our children. Outstanding teachers and principals in our classrooms and schools. Higher standards and better assessments that prepare our kids for life beyond the classroom. These are the four challenges that states must take up to win a Race to the Top award. And these are the four challenges that our country must meet for our children to outcompete workers around the world, for our economy to grow and prosper, and for America to lead in the 21^st century.

But as I’ve said before, lifting up American education is not a task for government alone. It will take parents getting more involved in their child’s education and schools doing more to reach out to our parents. It will take students accepting more responsibility for their own education. And it will take teachers unions, parents, and elected leaders working together as partners in a common effort. It will take each and every one of us doing our part on behalf of our kids, our country, and the future we share.

I’ll never forget one moment many years ago, before I ran for President, before I even ran for the United States Senate, when I was just starting out as a community organizer in Chicago. We had set up a meeting to figure out how to rebuild our neighborhoods, but no one showed up. So we were pretty downbeat. Our volunteers felt so defeated they were talking about quitting, and I was tired, too.

But just then, I looked outside and saw some young boys playing in a vacant lot across the street, tossing stones at an old apartment building. And I turned to the volunteers, and said, “Before you quit, I want you to answer one question. What’s gonna happen to those boys?” I thought, if we can’t see that we have a stake in those young boys; if we’re not willing to do our part on their behalf; if we fail to recognize that the fight for their future is the fight for their own, then who will? One by one, those volunteers stayed. Family by family, we reached out to the community. And block by block, we helped turn those neighborhoods around. 

That’s the spirit of common purpose we need in America today. And I’m absolutely confident that if we’re all willing to come together and embrace that spirit – from the living room to the classroom; from the State House to Capitol Hill – then not only will we see our students reach farther or our schools perform better, and not only will we help ensure that our children outcompete workers abroad and that America outcompetes nations abroad, but we will protect the dream of our founding and give all our children, every last one of them, a fair chance and an equal start in the race of life. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

Statement by President Barack Obama on Iran

November 4, 2009

Thirty years ago today, the American Embassy in Tehran was seized. The 444 days that began on November 4, 1979 deeply affected the lives of courageous Americans who were unjustly held hostage, and we owe these Americans and their families our gratitude for their extraordinary service and sacrifice.

This event helped set the United States and Iran on a path of sustained suspicion, mistrust, and confrontation. I have made it clear that the United States of America wants to move beyond this past, and seeks a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interests and mutual respect. We do not interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. We have condemned terrorist attacks against Iran. We have recognized Iran’s international right to peaceful nuclear power. We have demonstrated our willingness to take confidence-building steps along with others in the international community. We have accepted a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency to meet Iran’s request for assistance in meeting the medical needs of its people. We have made clear that if Iran lives up to the obligations that every nation has, it will have a path to a more prosperous and productive relationship with the international community.

Iran must choose. We have heard for thirty years what the Iranian government is against; the question, now, is what kind of future it is for. The American people have great respect for the people of Iran and their rich history. The world continues to bear witness to their powerful calls for justice, and their courageous pursuit of universal rights.  It is time for the Iranian government to decide whether it wants to focus on the past, or whether it will make the choices that will open the door to greater opportunity, prosperity, and justice for its people.

(Note – a Persian translation will be available at whitehouse.gov shortly)

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009

In the morning, the President will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in the Oval Office. There will be a pool spray at the top of the meeting.

The President will then receive the Presidential Daily Briefing, the Economic Daily Briefing, meet with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.

In the afternoon, the President will  participate in the U.S.-European Union Summit with the Prime Minister of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, and the European Council High Representative Javier Solana in the Cabinet Room. There will be a pool spray at the bottom of the meeting.

Later, the President and the Vice President will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press. In the evening, the President will meet with Senator Blanche Lincoln in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.

Also tomorrow, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills will hold a briefing at 11:45AM EDT in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the impact of health insurance reform with small business owners from across the country. Sebelius and Mills will give a legislative update and discuss the impact of health reform on small businesses before taking questions from the group of business owners. The briefing is open press and will be live streamed on www.whitehouse.gov. There will also be a simultaneous chat hosted during the event at www.facebook.com/whitehouse.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

AND PRIME MINISTER REINFELDT OF SWEDEN

AFTER MEETING

Oval Office

2:45 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I am thrilled to have the Prime Minister of Sweden with us here today.  We have had occasion to meet fairly frequently this year between all the various summits that we’ve participated in.  I’ve always been struck by the Prime Minister’s thoughtful, measured approach to some of the most important global challenges that we face.

     We had a very constructive discussion on a range of issues.  At the top of the list was the issue of climate change.  We are approaching the Copenhagen negotiations that will be taking place in December, and both Sweden, the United States, and I think it’s fair to say the EU as a whole, and the world as a whole, are interested in an outcome that can start moving us down the path of a sustainable economy that is not accelerating the potential catastrophe of climate change.

     Sweden has been a real leader in this.  We appreciate their leadership.  We are confident that if all countries involved recognize this is a unique opportunity that we can get an important deal done, not that solves every problem on this issue but takes an important step forward and lays the groundwork for further progress in the future.

     We also discussed Afghanistan.  I thanked Fredrik for the contributions of Sweden to the very important effort of stabilizing a country that has been war-torn and is a source of security concerns for all of us.  And to the extent that the European Union continues to make contributions on the civilian front, on the training of police, on development issues like agriculture, then we think that we can see real progress.

     I should use this moment to say that about an hour ago I spoke with President Karzai and I congratulated him on his election for a second term as President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.  Although the process was messy, I’m pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law, which I think is very important, not only for the international community that has so much invested in Afghan success, but most importantly, is important for the Afghan people that the results were in accordance with and followed the rules laid down by the Afghan constitution.

     I did emphasize to President Karzai that the American people and the international community as a whole want to continue to partner with him and his government in achieving prosperity and security in Afghanistan.  But I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security.  That kind of coordination and a sense on the part of President Karzai that after some difficult years in which there has been some drift, that in fact he’s going to move boldly and forcefully forward and take advantage of the international community’s interest in his country to initiate reforms internally, that has to be one of our highest priorities.

     He assured me that he understood the importance of this moment, but as I indicated to him, the proof is not going to be in words, it’s going to be in deeds.  And we are looking forward to consulting closely with his government in the weeks and months to come to assure that the Afghan people are actually seeing progress on the ground.

     The last point I would just make, the European Union obviously is an important trading partner of ours.  We are seeing a world economy stabilize after a very difficult period of time.  I think Fredrik would agree that it is absolutely critical that we continue to coordinate closely when it comes to our economic policies to assure that we are moving in a direction of more robust growth that creates more jobs in the United States and in Europe and that we continue to shy away from any protectionist measures that might actually reverse some of these positive trends. 

     So once again, welcome.  Thank you for your outstanding work both as Prime Minister and as President.  And please communicate the very warm feelings that the United States people have towards the people of Sweden.

     PRIME MINISTER REINFELDT:  Yes, we will.

     Well, thank you very much, Barack.  As you said, we have met on several occasions.  We share excellent bilateral relations.  And this is also a strong transatlantic link, which is very important for us. 

     We have discussed, as mentioned, the Afghanistan situation.  And the European Union has also said that we’re glad that we now can see a second term for Karzai, that it’s now concluded. 

     We talked about long-term commitment in Afghanistan.  We actually have 500 Swedish troops there.  We’re up to 35,000 now on the European Union side.  It’s very important, as Barack mentioned, to see this as both creating security but also governance issues, which would be of utmost importance to have ownership of their own, and creating sustainable working conditions, living conditions for the people of Afghanistan.

     The main issue was, as it often is, the climate issue.  We need to work together.  We need to find ours — find each other in the process to meet the two-degree target when it comes to Copenhagen and the time thereafter.  And we have spoken today I think about that again.

     So I thank you very much for your leadership on that issue.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you for the visit.

     PRIME MINISTER REINFELDT:  Thank you.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay, guys, thank you.