Gills Onions Voluntarily Recalls Diced and
Slivered Red and Yellow Onions, and Diced Onion and Celery Mix Because of Possible Health Risk

Gills Onions, LLC of Oxnard, CA is initiating a voluntary recall of a single day?s production of diced and slivered red and yellow onions and diced celery and onion mix because they may be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, and no other Gills Onions products are affected by this recall.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm312707.htm

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
Birmingham, Alabama

5:10 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, whoa!  (Applause.)  This is a good crowd.  You all are fired up.  (Applause.)  Let me thank you all.  Thank you so much.  I am beyond thrilled to be here in Birmingham with all of you, and to be in the state of Alabama.  I told Terri that I was coming back, and it has just been a glorious few hours here.  I just want to thank you for your graciousness, your hospitality, your warmth.  It’s just been tremendous.
 
I want to thank Peggy for that very, very kind introduction -- absolutely -- (applause) -- and for all of her support down here in this state.  And I also want to recognize Justice Mark Kennedy, Peggy’s husband, for all of the work as Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank them for their service to this country -- their entire family -- for their unwavering sacrifice and dedication to this country.  We are just grateful.  I know we all are, as Americans. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, First Lady!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Love you, too.  Love you, too.  (Applause.) 
 
And I have to thank my dear friend, Representative Terri Sewell.  (Applause.)  I know that Terri mentioned to you that we have known each other for a long time, and I’m just going to say this about Terri:  She is the exact same person today that she was when I met her.  And I mean that.  Now, she’s matured; she’s obviously a congresswoman.  But let me tell you, the first time I met Terri, she was bubbly, she was energetic, she was whip-smart.  She was the kind of person you’d pick to be on your team, because you’d know she’d get the job done.  And it has just been a thrill to watch her grow and to become a dedicated public servant.  I will tell you, you all are blessed to have her, and I am -- I look forward to have her as my friend.  Terri, thank you so much -- proud of you, very proud of you.
 
I want to also recognize State Representative Merika Coleman and her mom.  I got to meet them earlier.  (Applause.)  Thank you for your words, for firing up the crowd.  Mom, you look great.  (Laughter.)  And I also want to thank Leanne as well for all of her hard work and for getting you all fired up.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed.  There she is.  And her beautiful children -- and her mom, because she is doing what she’s doing because of her mom, and I can relate to that, because we can’t do what we do with children without a good grandma by our side, right?  (Applause.)  Thank you, Leanne, you’re doing a phenomenal job.
 
And I also want to give a big shout-out to all of the grassroots volunteers who are here today, because I know we’ve got a lot of our worker bees.  (Applause.)  You all are the folks that are doing the hard work -- you’re making those phone calls, knocking on doors.  So I want to give you all -- give all our team leaders, our volunteers a round of applause.  (Applause.)  You all are doing the hard work.  (Applause.) 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Whitney Young!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Whitney Young -- High School, for those of you who -- (laughter) -- the Dolphins.  Go Dolphins.  (Laughter.)
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you, this beautiful crowd.  Just glorious.  Thank you for taking the time to be here today.  And I know that -- I don’t take it for granted that you are taking time out of your busy lives to be here.  Yes, I’m the First Lady, but you all are busy.  (Laughter.)  You all --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you.  But you all have jobs to do, right?  You’ve got business to handle.  Many of you are in school, you’ve got classes to attend, you’re taking care of business.  You’ve got those beautiful families to raise -- our children. 
 
But I also know that there’s a reason why all of you are here today, and it’s not just because we all support an extraordinary President -- my husband.  Yes, I’m a little biased.  (Applause.)  I believe that our President is doing a phenomenal job.  (Applause.)  And we’re not just here because we want to win an election -- which we do, and we will.  Four more years -- yes, indeed.  (Applause.)
 
But what I like to remind people when I travel around the country is that we’re here, we’re doing this because of the values we believe in.  That’s why we’re here.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  We’re doing this because we want all of our children to have good schools, right?  The kind of schools that push them, and inspire them -- we know those schools.  The kind of schools that prepare them for the good jobs and the opportunities of the future -- that’s why we’re here. 
 
We want our parents and our grandparents to be able to retire with some dignity, because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, they should be able to enjoy their golden years, right?  (Applause.)
 
We’re here because we want to restore that basic middle-class security for all of our families, because we believe that in America folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick.  Not in America.  They shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job.  Not in America.  We believe that responsibility should be rewarded, and that hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share, but play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
And the thing we know is that these are basic American values, right?  The basics --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thanks for bringing my (inaudible) home!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And thank you for your service, sweetie.  Thank you. 
 
These are the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  You all know my story by now.  My father was a blue-collar worker at the city water plant, and my family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  My mother still lives in that apartment -- when she’s not at the White House, but -- (laughter.)  My parents never had the kinds of educational opportunities that we had.  Never.  And growing up, I’m sure like so many people here, I saw how they saved and how they sacrificed -- how they poured everything they had into me and my brother.  They held us to that same high standard of excellence because they wanted us both to have the same kind of education they could only dream of.
 
My parents did everything in their power to support my college education -- right? -- so I know you can relate to this.  And pretty much all of my tuition came from student loans and grants.  (Applause.)  But my dad still had to pay a small portion of that tuition himself.  And let me tell you, every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, because my dad was so proud to be able to send his kids to college, and he did all he could to lessen our financial burden by ensuring that neither me nor my brother ever missed that registration deadline because his check was late.  And like so many people in this country, my father was proud to be able to earn the kind of living that allowed him to handle his business to his family; to be able to pay all of his bills, and to pay them on time.  That’s all he wanted.  That’s all most people want.
 
And more than anything else, that’s what’s at stake.  That’s why we’re here.  That’s what we’re working for.  It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, in America, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  And it is that promise that binds us together as Americans.  That’s what we cannot forget.  That is what makes us who we are.  That’s what makes this country special.
 
And from now until November, Barack is going to need all of you to get out there and to tell everyone you know about our values.  You tell them about this vision, about everything that’s at stake in this election.  That’s what we need from you.
 
And you can start with the economy.  When it comes to the economy, you can start by telling them how Barack fought for tax cuts for working families and for small businesses, because he understands that an economy built to last starts with the middle class and the folks who are creating jobs and putting people back to work.
 
And remind people how, back when Barack first took office, this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs every single month.  Remind them.  But also let them know for the past 28 straight months, we’ve actually been gaining private sector jobs -– a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)  It’s important that people understand this in context, correct?
 
So while we still have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, today, millions of people are collecting a paycheck again; millions of people like my dad are able to pay their bills again.  (Applause.)
 
And I want you to remind people about how those folks in Washington, so many of them were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under.  Remember that?  With more than a million jobs on the line, they said, let it go.  But Barack had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people.  And as a result, today, the auto industry is back on its feet again and, more importantly, people are back to work again, providing for their families.  Let them know.  (Applause.)
 
As someone mentioned, let’s talk a little bit about health care.  (Applause.)  You can tell people how insurance companies will have to cover preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care, at no extra cost thanks to health reform.  Thanks to health reform, millions of our seniors have saved hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs.  And our young people can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  That is how 6.6 million of our young people in this country are getting the care that they need.  Let them know.
 
When it comes to education, you can tell them that Barack knows what it’s like to be drowning in student debt.  Back when we first started out, right -- we’re all in love, trying to build a life together -- (laughter) -- we’re still in love -- (laughter) -- as you can see from the Kiss-Cam, right?  (Applause.)  But when we first got married, our combined student loan bill was actually higher than our mortgage. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Amen.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I can get an Amen.  There are a lot of people in here -- that’s why Barack fought so hard to prevent student loan interest rates from increasing.  And that’s why he’s doubled Pell Grants, helping 4 million more students afford the education they need for the jobs of the future.  (Applause.) 
 
And when it comes to increasing opportunities for all of our young people, I want you to tell people how hard Barack has been fighting for the DREAM Act.  And understand this -- he’s fighting for responsible young people who came to this country as children through no fault of their own, and were raised as Americans.  He’s fighting for them because he believes they deserve the chance to go to college, to serve our country, and to contribute to this economy.  That’s what that’s about.  (Applause.)
 
And when it comes to our country’s safety, please remind people that Barack kept his promise and brought our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)
 
You can remind them about how our brave men and women in uniform finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks.  (Applause.)
 
And our troops will no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love, because Barack finally ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  That makes a difference to our men and women in service.  (Applause.)
 
And when it comes to supporting women and families in this country, you can tell people how Barack fought to make it easier for women to get equal pay for equal work because of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)  That was the first bill he signed into law, because he knows that closing that pay gap, that can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their kids.  And he did it because when so many women in this country are breadwinners for our families, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  That’s why he did it.  Let people know.  (Applause.) 
 
And finally, when it comes to the Supreme Court, don’t forget to tell people about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices he appointed -- (applause) -- and how for the first time in history our daughters and sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  Let them know.  (Applause.)
 
But all of this is at stake this November.  It’s all on the line.  And in the end, it all boils down to one simple question:  Are we going to continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made?  Or are we going to let everything we’ve worked so hard for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, we know what we need to do.  We can’t turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward, right?  (Applause.)  Forward!  This country always moves forward.  (Applause.)
 
And more than anything else, that’s what we’re working for.  That’s why we’re here -- the chance to finish what we started; the chance to keep fighting for the values we all believe in, the vision that we all share.  Everybody shares this vision.  And that is what your President, my husband, has been doing every single day -- every single day in office.
 
And let me just share something with you.  Over the past three and a half years I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like.  (Laughter.)  And I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk, they are always the hard ones –- they’re the problems with no easy solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there is no margin for error.  And as President, you are going to get all kinds of advice and opinions from all kinds of people.  But let me tell you, at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your life experiences.  All you have to draw on are your values and your vision for this country.  And in the end, it all comes down to who you are and what you stand for.
 
And we all know who my husband is, don’t we?  (Applause.)  And we all know what he stands for.  (Applause.)  He is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  Barack is the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch a bus at her job at the bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother worked hard to help support his family, and she was good at her job, she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- climb up that ladder.  Like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling.
 
So, believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have the chance to fulfill their potential.  And, believe me, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want something better for your kids.  Those are the experiences that have made him the man, and yes, the President he is today.  And that’s what we’re working for.  (Applause.)
 
So when there’s a choice about our children’s future -- about investing in their schools and helping them to attend college without a mountain of debt, you know where Barack Obama stands.  (Applause.)
 
When it comes time to stand up for our workers and our families, so folks can make a decent wage, save for retirement, see a doctor when they’re sick, you know what Barack Obama is going to do.  (Applause.)  And when we need a President to protect our most basic rights -- no matter who we love, or where we’re from, or what race or what gender we are -- you know you can count on my husband, because that’s what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Every single day.  (Applause.)
 
But I have said this before, and I will say it again:  He cannot do this alone.  That was never the promise.  Because, as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is a guarantee.  So he needs your help.  And let me just say -- and I know that I’m talking to our people here, but let me just say, sitting on the sidelines is simply not an option if we want to keep this country moving forward.  It’s not an option.  (Applause.)  Barack needs you to be actively and passionately engaged.  He needs you to make those phone calls.  He needs you to organize those events.  He needs you to join one of our neighborhood teams.  These teams are groups of people all over the state and all over the country.  We’ve got team leaders right here.  And they’re giving just a little bit of their time and energy to make a difference for this campaign.  Everything we do on the ground runs through our teams.  That’s what’s going to make the difference.
 
So, today, we’ve got volunteers here.  Hands up our volunteers here, who can answer questions and get you signed up -- (applause) -- get you to fill in one of those “I’m In” cards.  You can sign up to volunteer next week, or next weekend, down in Florida.  We need you to go everywhere as well.  And once you’ve signed up, we need you to multiply yourselves.  I want you all to think like that.  I’m telling everybody around the country:  Multiply yourselves.  If you’re in, you need to be 10 more people in.  We need you to reach out to everybody you know -- your friends, your family, your neighbors -- and I want you to tell them to go to dashboard.barackobama.com, and that information will be there.  You can stop at any -- that’s dashboard.barackobama.com.  Our websites are tremendous.  So we want you to go there, and we want you to direct people to that site to get them involved.
 
And let me just say, if anyone here has any doubt about the difference you can make, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election could all come down to those last few thousand people that we register to vote, right?  (Applause.)  It could all come down to those last few thousand people that we help get to the polls on November the 6th.  So with every conversation you have, I just want you to remember -- think in your mind -- think this could be the one that makes the difference.  With every conversation -- this could be the one.  That is the kind of impact that each of us can have. 
 
So if you’ve noticed that I’m a little passionate -- because I’m thinking there is someone out there right now, today, who could be the one.  That’s how I think about this.  And if we’re all thinking like that -- there is no conversation that is wasted; there is no moment that goes unfulfilled when it comes to working on behalf of this campaign.
 
And I’m not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long.  It is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  I remind everyone about that.  But we have to remember that that is how change always happens in this country.  Real change is slow.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, then eventually we get there.  We always have.  We always do.  Maybe not in my lifetime, but maybe in our children’s lifetime, right?  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
Because, in the end, that’s what this is all about.  That’s what I remind myself.  That’s what keeps me fired up.  That’s what I think about when I tuck my girls in at night.  Malia is getting a little big for tucking, but I still make her get tucked.  (Laughter.)  But I think hard about the world I want to leave for them, and for all of our sons and daughters.  I love your kids.  I think about how I want to do for them what my mom and dad did for me.  I want to give them a foundation for their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise, because all our kids are worthy.  I want to give our children that sense of limitless possibility, right?  That belief that here in America, there is always something better if you’re willing to work for it.
 
So we just can’t turn back now.  We have come much too far.  We can’t go back.  (Applause.) But we have so much more work to do.  We have to keep moving forward.
 
So I have one last question that I ask everybody:  Are you all in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, no, are you really in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I mean, as I say, are you the kind of in where you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and make those calls and multiply yourselves and reach out to people in your lives who are not paying attention?  Find those nephews and nieces who aren’t registered to vote and shake them.  Are you the kind of in where you’re ready to find somebody on Election Day and take them to the polls?  Are you thinking -- are you the kind of in where you’re thinking, every conversation, I can let you know what’s happening.  I’m going to take it on.  Are you that kind of in?  (Applause.)  Because that’s the kind of in we’re going to need.  And if you haven’t noticed, I’m so far in.  (Applause.)  I am so fired up.  And I hope you all are, too.  We have to get this done.  We have to do it for our children.  They deserve the best.  They deserve a country that is working for them.  And we need each of you to help us get there.
 
So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done and all that you will do.  God bless you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END               
5:35 P.M. EDT
 

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Statement by the Press Secretary on the
Announcement of Libyan Election Results

Libya’s democratic transition took another important step with yesterday’s announcement of the results from the July 7th National Congress election.  As President Obama noted on Election Day, Libya’s historic election underscores that the future of Libya is in the hands of the Libyan people.  The United States congratulates all the parties and candidates who have won seats in the new General Congress.  We commend Libya’s High National Election Commission for its hard work preparing Libya’s first election in almost 50 years.  The orderly voting process noted by international observers and the significant turnout reflects the Libyan people’s commitment to democracy and civic participation.  Once the final period for appeals has been completed, we look forward to working closely with Libya’s newly elected leaders and the members of the General Congress as they take on the challenges of strengthening public institutions, improving security, and promoting national unity.  As they do so, Libya’s leaders can count on the United States for continued friendship and support.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Readout of the Presidents Call with Prime
Minister Netanyahu

The President called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today to offer his condolences and assistance following the terrorist attack targeting Israeli tourists in Bulgaria. The President strongly condemned this outrageous attack that killed and wounded innocent Israelis and Bulgarians, including Israeli children. The President pledged to stand with Israel in this difficult time, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators. The President reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney and
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:43 P.M. EDT 

MR. CARNEY:  Thank you very much.  Welcome, everybody, to the White House for your daily briefing.

As I think you had advanced warning of, I have with me today the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.  As you know, he briefed the President today on the drought that is affecting a significant portion of the country.  The President asked for this briefing.  And I asked that Secretary Vilsack join me here today to give you an update and to take your questions on issues surrounding the drought.

If you could, as is past practice, hear Secretary Vilsack’s presentation, then ask questions that you have for him.  I will, of course, remain here ready to take your questions on other subjects.

And with that, I give you Secretary Vilsack.

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Jay, thanks very much.

I did have an opportunity to visit with the President.  He is very well informed on the circumstances surrounding a very serious drought -- the most serious situation we’ve had probably in 25 years -- across the country.  Sixty-one percent of the land mass of the United States is currently being characterized as being impacted by this drought. 

And our hearts go out to the producers, the farm families who are struggling through something that they obviously have no control over and trying to deal with a very difficult circumstance.

There’s no question that this drought is having an impact on our crops:  78 percent of the corn crop is now in an area designated as drought impacted; 77 percent of the soybeans that are being grown in this country also impacted.  It also obviously involves other commodities as well -- 38 percent of our corn crop as of today is rated poor to very poor; 30 percent of our soybeans poor to very poor. 

And this obviously will have an impact on the yields.  Right now we have indicated yields will be down about 20 bushels to the acre for corn and about 3 bushels to the acre for beans.  That may be adjusted upward or downward as weather conditions dictate.

This will result in significant increases in prices.  For corn, we’ve seen a 38 percent increase since June 1st, and the price of a bushel of corn is now at $7.88.  A bushel of beans have risen 24 percent. 

This administration has taken quick action to try to provide help and assistance.  At the instructions of the President, the first thing we did was to streamline the disaster declaration system and process, reducing the amount of time it takes to have a county designated.  That means that producers in those counties and adjoining counties are able to access low-interest loans. 

The President instructed us to reduce the interest rate on those loans from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent.  He also instructed us to open up new opportunities for haying and grazing -- our livestock producers are in deep trouble because of the drought.  They don’t have anyplace for their cattle.  They are looking at very high feed costs.  So we are opening up areas under the Conservation Reserve Program for emergency haying and grazing. 

Normally when that happens, producers have to return a portion of the CRP payment that they receive.  We’ve reduced the portion that they have to return from 25 percent to 10 percent. 

Our tools are somewhat limited and so we’re going to need to work with Congress to provide opportunities either through the passage of the Food, Farm and Jobs bill or through additional disaster programs, or perhaps additional flexibility in the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide help and assistance to our farmers.

The question that a lot of folks are asking is what will the impact be on food prices.  Because livestock producers will begin the process of potentially reducing their herds in light of higher feed costs, we would anticipate in the short term actually food prices for beef, poultry, pork may go down a bit, but over time they will rise.  We will probably see those higher prices later this year, first part of next year.  Processed foods obviously impacted by crop yields, and we will likely see the increase of that also in 2013.

It's important to note that farmers only receive 14 cents of every food dollar that goes through the grocery store, so even though prices on commodities increase significantly, it doesn’t necessarily translate into large increases for food prices.  And if, in fact, people are beginning to see food price increases now, it is not in any way, shape, or form, related to the drought.  And we should be very careful to keep an eye on that to make sure that people do not take advantage of a very difficult and painful situation.

There is some degree of uncertainty about all of this.  Technology has allowed us to have more drought-resistant crops.  The spotty nature of drought, the spotty nature of rains can sometimes result in better yields than anticipated.  We're just going to have to see.  As of today, 1,297 counties have been designated as Secretarial Disaster Areas.  That's approximately a third of the counties in the United States.  We're adding 39 counties today in eight states -- those states are New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, Indiana, Georgia, and Mississippi.

We have staff that is now traveling to 12 states significantly impacted by the drought in order to get a firsthand look at conditions, and we'll do everything we possibly can to help folks.  But we're obviously going to need some help, working with Congress, to create greater flexibility in programs, to revive the disaster programs that were allowed to expire last year, or to pass a Food, Farm and Jobs bill.

Jay, with that --

MR. CARNEY:  Yes.  Ben.

Q    Thank you.  Thank you, Mr. Secretary.  Two questions.  To follow up on the point you just made about your tools are limited, is there a specific amount of aid that you'll be seeking from Congress?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  It's very difficult to pinpoint that with specificity because we don't really know what the impact could be.  For example, based on our current estimates today, the corn crop would still be the third largest corn crop in the United States history.  And the reason for that is because there were more acres planted at the beginning of the year.

So we just have to wait to see what our yields are going to be.  In the meantime, though, we can create a structure and system, either through a revival of disaster programs or passage of the Food, Farm and Jobs bill that contains some relief for livestock producers, or some flexibility in CCC, so we're prepared to move as soon as we know precisely what the impact is going to be.

Crop producers have the ability to utilize crop insurance, and for the most part, crop insurance will provide historically about 72 percent coverage of yields and revenue loss.  But it's the livestock producers that are in the biggest and most troubled situation because they simply don't have any disaster program and there's no such thing as a crop insurance program for livestock producers.

Q    I just have one other question.  You gave us some specific numbers about crops and prices, but this drought is obviously happening at a very difficult time for the whole country and the economy.  Can you give us a macro sense of how this drought could affect the economy?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, right now, the rural economy is one of the bright spots in the economy.  We're seeing record farm exports; we're seeing expansion of new markets; we're seeing development of a bio-based economy with record amounts of biofuel being produced; and we’re seeing outdoor recreation opportunities take off because of more acres in rural and conservation programs.

So it’s a little difficult to say what the macro impact will be.  One out of every 12 jobs in the economy is connected in some way, shape, or form, to what happens on the farm.  We’re actually seeing farm implement -- up to this point, we saw an increase in farm implement manufacturing and shipments at record levels.

Obviously, this drought will provide some degree of uncertainty, but the most important thing is for Congress to take action to provide some direction and assistance so that folks know what’s going to happen, what kind of protection they’re going to have.  That certainty is really important.  And that’s whether they want to get to work on the Food, Farm and Jobs bill, they want to develop a separate disaster program or an extension of existing programs, whatever it might be -- having that done as soon as possible will be quite helpful.

Q    Mr. Secretary, two questions.  Number one, you mentioned farm exports as being a bright spot.  Do you have any sort of estimates on the amount of reduction on exports for corn and soybeans now, given the drought situation -- even a range?  And second, will there be any EPA assessment of the mandate using corn for ethanol?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  There’s no need to go to the EPA at this point in time.  Based on the quantity of ethanol that’s currently in storage, there’s no problem in that area at this point in time.

On exports, we would anticipate and expect they would be reduced.  But again, the area and the amount of reduction depends on what the yields are, and I won’t know what those are until we, in fact, harvest the crop.

Based on what we have today, I would anticipate and expect a small decline, but that could be changed next week if the crop conditions continue to worsen, or it could be improved if we get the right rain in the right places at the right time and the right amount. 

Q    Secretary Vilsack, going back to the issue of crop insurance, I was told that crop insurance is very expensive, with the premium, maybe for some farmers, $15,000 a year.  What happens to those farmers who cannot afford the crop insurance?  Those small, minority, women farmers who just can’t afford it -- what is in place or what are you talking about putting in place to help them in the midst of this drought situation?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  That’s why the President was so insistent on taking a look at the interest rate on the emergency loan program that we have.  And that basically reduces -- it provides emergency loans to get people through a tough period of time.  And the interest rate was reduced from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent for those producers who are located in counties that have been designated as a disaster area. 

So the emergency loan is one opportunity.  The second opportunity for those producers would be a situation where Congress would provide for a revival of the disaster programs that expired.  We had a program last year called SURE that provided supplemental protection; livestock producers had a livestock indemnity program -- they could bring those back.  So they could create opportunities within the Commodity Credit Corporation for us to provide financial assistance to those farmers.

So there’s a whole series of options.  But right now, the only option we have is to reduce the interest rate on the emergency loan and make sure that haying and grazing is available to livestock producers.

Q    So what are you doing to make sure, to ensure -- because right now you’re still dealing with a lot of minority, Indian, and women farmers who are having complaints about the subsidy programs that you offer.  What are you doing to ensure that there’s an equitable process that they are able to obtain those loans now?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  We have in place a process by which we compare the amount of loan activity in counties where there are significant percentages of socially disadvantaged farmers or minority farmers to make sure that the amount of loans that are being authorized and approved are roughly equivalent to the percentage of the population of the socially disadvantaged minority.  So that we keep engaged and if we see that there’s a significant difference, we’ll obviously pay attention to that particular county.

But I think everybody understands that now it’s all hands on deck.  The President is very concerned about making sure we do everything we possibly can to help as many producers as we can through this difficult circumstance.

Q    Based on what you know today -- and understanding it’s imperfect information -- how do you think this drought is going to compare with the '88 drought?  Do you think it could be worse than that?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  If we were comparing it today to potential yields, the '88 yield would have the corn crop being about 25 bushels less than what we have today.  The beans would be roughly five bushels less.  So we’re not at the '88 level. 

There’s probably a larger area of the country that’s impacted, but the severity is not as deep yet.  But every day that goes by without rain, depending upon the state and the condition of the soil, and what was planted and when it was planted -- part of the problem we’re facing is that weather conditions were so good at the beginning of the season that farmers got in the field early.  And as a result, this drought comes at a very difficult and painful time in terms of their ability to have their crops have good yields.

Q    Sir, could you elaborate on your concerns about short-term gouging or taking advantage of the situation?  And at what point in the food chain does that occur?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, everybody knows there’s a drought and everybody knows it’s severe, and everybody knows that the corn prices and bean prices have gone up, and that impacts livestock producers in the long term.  What folks don’t know is it does take some time for those prices and that impact to be felt.  Nor do most people realize how little farmers get out of that food dollar.  So even though prices are increasing, it may not translate into significantly higher food costs. 

Right now we estimate our food inflation rate somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 percent.  In fact, this last month it was at 2.7 percent, which was one-tenth of a percent less than the preceding month. 

So it’s complicated.  Because it’s complicated, some people could say, well, this is an opportunity to potentially raise costs now.  And we want to make sure people understand that now is not the time that they should see higher food costs.  If there are going to be higher food costs, you would likely see them later in the year and in the first part of next year.

Q    And what are you doing -- what’s the Agriculture Department doing, what can it do, to track for this kind of activity?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, through a number of nutrition assistance programs, we can kind of keep an eye on what we’re spending and where we’re spending it and whether or not it is historically in the norm.  And if it’s not, we can take a look at it.

But I think the most important thing right now is for consumers to be aware and to keep an eye on it, and begin asking questions -- if they see a dramatic increase in hamburger costs or steak costs -- they should ask, what’s with this?  And if someone says it’s the drought, they should push back and say, now, wait a second, that’s not the reason.  We should actually -- given that herds are being reduced and potentially liquidated, we should actually be seeing a little lower cost right now.  And that pushback may make a difference.

Q    Thank you.

Q    Mr. Secretary, you’ve mentioned corn and beans several times.  I’m wondering why the focus on that and not other crops.  Is it because they have such a multiplier effect throughout the economy, throughout the food supply?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Not so much that.  It’s primarily the area of where the drought is most severe is primarily where corn and beans are raised.  Wheat, somewhat impacted.  The biggest other impact is for livestock producers -- hay is obviously going to be much more expensive because there’s going to be a lot less of it. 

That’s why we’re deeply concerned about the importance of getting action with our friends in Congress to try to provide some degree of assistance and help.  And they have multiple ways they can do that.  We just want to encourage them to do it as quickly as possible.

Q    Mr. Secretary, thank you for doing the briefing.  I know that the U.S. sells some of the livestock to Russia and probably to other countries.  So do you expect an increase in the export of livestock because of this situation?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, it’s conceivable in the short term -- as herds are liquidated, it could provide opportunities with lower costs for us to be even more competitive than we already are in that export market.  Frankly, we are looking at record exports, notwithstanding the difficulties we’re facing here.  We had a record year last year; we're looking at a strong year this year. 

As it relates to Russia, hopefully Congress will act and make sure that Russia enters the WTO in a way that allows us to put them in a process where they’re in a rules-based and science-based system.  That should increase and should help our export opportunities in Russia, more than just the current situation.

Q    Could you talk a little bit about the drought itself?  Is it very unusual?  Did anyone see it coming?  Is it from climate change?  Is there anything you can do to prepare?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  I’m not a scientist so I’m not going to opine as to the cause of this.  All we know is that right now there are a lot of farmers and ranchers who are struggling.  And it’s important and necessary for them to know, rather than trying to focus on what’s causing this, what can we do to help them.  And what we can do to help them is lower interest rates, expand access to grazing and haying opportunities, lower the penalties associated with that, and encourage Congress to help and work with us to provide additional assistance.  And that’s where our focus is.

Long term, we will continue to look at weather patterns, and we’ll continue to do research and to make sure that we work with our seed companies to create the kinds of seeds that will be more effective in dealing with adverse weather conditions.

It’s one of the reasons -- because they have done that, it’s one of the reasons why we’re still uncertain as to the impact of this drought in terms of its bottom line because some seeds are drought-resistant and drought-tolerant, and it may be that the yields in some cases are better than we’d expected because of the seed technology.

Q    I want to follow up on Andrei’s question -- just the other way.  Wouldn’t it first make sense to increase imports of crops to feed the herds, instead of slaughtering?  I mean, it’s unconventional for this country to think about improving imports instead of supporting more exports, but --

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, I think that the margins, particularly for livestock producers, are pretty tight.  And those margins don’t necessarily -- aren’t necessarily impacted or affected by importing more costly feed.  They have to make a tough decision and a difficult decision, and it’s particularly difficult in light of the fact that the disaster programs that we’re there to protect them under these circumstances -- to give you a sense of this, the disaster programs that we had under the 2008 Farm Bill, for all producers, including livestock producers, provided nearly $4 billion of assistance to 400,000 producers that suffered from floods and droughts and storms and fires and so forth.

So that was a significant help to those livestock producers. We don’t have that today.  We need something like that, and a lot of vehicles to get it.  But in the meantime, I think the producers will make the decision to reduce herds, which is how they normally react to a circumstance like this, so they can minimize what potential loss they may be facing. 

Q    Secretary, should we be expecting that you and the President will be heading to a drought-stricken area soon?  That’s normally a path that you take when you’re trying to show something is a priority.

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, I can’t speak obviously for the President’s schedule, but I can tell you that actually I was in Pennsylvania yesterday.  We do have the Deputy Secretary going to Georgia tomorrow.  We've got the Under Secretary of the Farm Service Association traveling to several states that are drought-impacted and affected.  We have a Deputy Under Secretary also traveling.  So we actually are fanning out across the country to get a sense of what the conditions are.

It really is also an opportunity for us to underscore what we have done and what needs to be done, and the help that we need from Congress.  So, yes, we're going to be continuing to travel throughout the country.  I'm scheduled to go to Iowa next week to talk to Farm Bureau members and I'm sure that I'm going to have an opportunity to visit with them about the conditions of the crops in Iowa.

Q    Mr. Secretary, I want to follow through on the climate change question.  Is there any long-range thinking at the Department that -- you had the wildfires and the heat wave and the rise in sea levels, and now this drought -- that there's something more going on here than just one year of a bad crop, and you need more than better seeds, maybe do something about climate change?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Our focus, to be honest with you, in a situation like this is on the near term and the immediate, because there's a lot of pressure on these producers.  You take the dairy industry, for example.  We've lost nearly half of our dairy producers in the last 10 years.  They were just getting back to a place where there was profitability and now they're faced with some serious issues and, again, no assistance in terms of disaster assistance. 

So that's our near-term focus.  Long term, we obviously are engaged in research projects; we're obviously working with seed companies.  Don't discount the capacity of the seed companies.  These technologies do make a difference.  And it's one of the reasons why, at least based on the yields today, we're looking at potentially the third largest corn crop in our history.  Now, that may be adjusted downward, it may be adjusted upward -- depends on the rain, depends on circumstances.   But even with the difficulties we're experiencing, we're still looking at a pretty good crop as of today.  Tomorrow it could change, obviously.

MR. CARNEY:  We'll take one more for the Secretary.  Yes, sir, right here.

Q    I'm Dr. Harper, the Intermountain Christian News.  And Governor Perry last year had this national day of prayer and fasting, and he was encouraging people to pray and fast in these national disasters.  Do you have any figures on that?

SECRETARY VILSACK:  Well, I can only speak for myself.  I get on my knees every day and I'm saying an extra prayer now.  If I had a rain prayer or rain dance I could do, I would do it.  But honestly, right now the focus needs to be on working with Congress -- they have the capacity to help these producers by creating greater flexibility to programs, providing us some direction in terms of whatever disaster assistance can be provided.  Those are the kinds of things we're focused on.

MR. CARNEY:  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.  We appreciate it.

Q    Is the President going, Jay, to go anywhere --

MR. CARNEY:  I don't have any scheduling updates for the President to provide to you today.  If and when I do, I’ll provide them. 

We can now return to our regular programming.  Mr. Feller.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  A lot to cover on Syria, so a question on that, and then I wanted to squeeze in one on domestic politics.

First of all, on Syria, we’ve heard some initial reaction, but one thing I haven’t heard is whether the White House condemns the killing, condemns the bombing of the top officials of the Assad regime.

MR. CARNEY:  What I can say, Ben, is what we’ve said all along, which is that we do not believe that violence is the answer.  And it is precisely because of the ongoing campaign by President Assad against his own people that we are seeing a situation that is getting worse and worse.  

And that is why it is so important for the international community to come together around a plan that produces the transition -- the political transition that is essential if Syria is to have a brighter future.  I think the incident today makes clear that Assad is losing control, that violence is increasing rather than decreasing, and that all of our partners, internationally, need to come together and support a transition. 
One concern expressed by those who have resisted supporting a transition that would see Assad remove himself from power is that it would -- that that outcome would cause the situation to spiral out of control or cause chaos or more violence.  And our argument has always been that the situation, as it exists with Assad in power, is what will result in greater violence and in greater chaos.  And that is being borne out, unfortunately.

So as you know, we’re working with our partners at the United Nations in New York, trying to bring about the consensus that we believe is absolutely necessary.

Q    Can you inform us whether Assad was a target and whether the administration knows where he is now?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have any information on that.  We’re still gathering details about the incident.  Again, all I can tell you is it reflects the fact that the situation is getting more violent every day in Syria.  And it only proves a point that we’ve been making that the window is closing; we need to take action in a unified way to help bring about the transition that the Syrian people so deserve.

Q    I’ll squeeze in my political question here.  Speaker Boehner today, in talking about the President, said, "He doesn’t give a damn about middle-class Americans."  And I wanted to get your reaction to this in terms of whether you think that this is another day in Washington politics, or whether that kind of comment about the President’s motivations in any way crosses the line.

MR. CARNEY:  I had not heard that comment.  I would simply say that the President’s focus from day one in office has been on the middle class, has been on restoring the security that had been eroding for the middle class for a decade in this country.  All of his domestic initiatives are focused principally on the middle class.  The proposal that he has been asking Congress to act on immediately is a middle-class tax cut -- a tax cut that would go to 98 percent of American taxpayers.  It is the principal preoccupation of his presidency.  It is the reason why he ran for this office.  It is the reason why he is running for reelection.

It is, I think, astounding to hear a criticism like that when you simply bring it back to the policy debate.  In an effort to move the ball down the field, if you will, in terms of our economic challenges, the President, acknowledging that there are big disagreements on some issues, did what you do when you seek compromise, which is find common ground.  And he said, look, we all support, Republicans and Democrats alike -- at least we all say we support -- extending tax cuts for the middle class.  Let’s do it.  Let’s do it tomorrow.  Pass those tax cuts now -- the President will sign them into law.

I believe Speaker Boehner opposes that.  I hope his opposition changes.  It is a very difficult argument to make, I think, to middle-class Americans that you believe your taxes should go up unless millionaires and billionaires get a tax cut.

I’ll happily talk at length about the President’s record supporting and helping to make more secure the middle class.

Q    I wanted to return to Syria for a moment.  Do you have any information about who may have been behind the suicide bombing? 

MR. CARNEY:  I’ve seen published reports of a group taking responsibility, but I don’t have any other information besides that.

Q    And in light of the increasing violence in Syria, are you concerned -- how concerned are you about the security the country’s chemical weapons stockpile?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, we have, as you know, repeatedly made it clear that the Syrian government has a responsibility to safeguard its stockpiles of chemical weapons and that international community will hold accountable any Syrian officials who fail to meet that obligation.  We, the United States, are closely monitoring Syria’s proliferation-sensitive materials and facilities.  And we believe that Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile remains under Syrian government control.

But taking a step back, we have long said that the presence of chemical weapons in Syria undermines -- in Syria and the region -- undermines peace and security, and we continue to call on the Syrian government to give up its chemical weapons arsenal and to join the chemical weapons convention.

Q    What do you have on the Bulgaria blast that targeted some Israelis?  The Israelis are saying apparently that it has all the earmarks of something by Iran.

MR. CARNEY:  This is obviously breaking news and we are working to ascertain all the facts.  But I want to be clear that the United States condemns such attacks on innocent people, especially children, in the strongest possible terms.

The President’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and those injured.  We also stand with the people of Israel and the people of Bulgaria in this difficult time.  Going forward, the United States will support our friends and allies as they confront terrorism.  And of course, our commitment to Israel’s security remains unshakable.

Q    I mean, does this look like something that Iran would have done?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have information yet on anything specific to the incident itself and if, in fact, it was terrorism and who was responsible for it.  I can tell you that the President has been briefed on it, but I don’t have any more details on it.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  I have two questions.  First, on the GOP allegations that the Obama administration has "gutted" Medicaid  --- I’m sorry, welfare -- "gutted welfare reform."  And I think Romney has also weighed in, saying that President Obama "wants to strip the established work requirements from welfare."  And I was wondering what the President or the White House response to those allegations is.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I find that interesting because a cornerstone of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 -- which I remember well because I covered it -- was the establishment of work requirements for welfare recipients.  And those requirements are fundamental to the gains made in the past 15 years in moving people from welfare to work.  And this administration opposes any effort to undermine those requirements.

The changes proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services are designed to accelerate job placement by moving more Americans from welfare to work as quickly as possible.  There will be no waivers of the time limits in the law, and only waivers with compelling plans to move more people off of welfare and into work will be considered.  This policy will allow states to test new, more effective ways to help people get and keep a job.

And then if I could address some of the hypocritical criticism -- I have been surprised by it -- by the hypocrisy of our critics since many of them have in the past supported and even proposed such waivers.  Governor Romney, Governor Barbour, Governor Huckabee, Secretary Tommy Thompson, and Senator Grassley all supported these kinds of waivers for states in the past. 

In a 2005 letter to the Senate, Republican governors including then-Governor Romney, requested such waivers.  Under President George W. Bush, HHS Secretary Thompson put forward a proposal that would allow "super waivers" in the program.  The Senate, under Republican control at the time, passed a bill authored by Senator Grassley with broad waiver authority. 

And just last year, states led by Democrats and Republicans including Nevada and Utah, called for these waivers -- these very waivers so they could have more flexibility to get more people back to work faster.

So, given this long, documented history of bipartisan support, it is surprising, to say the least, to see this kind of flip-flopping on the part of Republicans.

Q    Are you suggesting that Mitt Romney flip-flopped on this?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m suggesting that everyone I named by name in the past supported these kinds of waivers.  And I am also making clear that this administration in no way supports any effort to undermine the work requirements that were fundamental to the Welfare Reform Act signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Wendell.  No, I’m sorry, do you have a second question?

Q    I just had one quick one.  On the Jobs Council, obviously who haven't met formally or publicly for six months -- why exactly is that?

MR. CARNEY:  Look, the President solicits and receives input and advice from members of his Jobs Council and others about economic initiatives all the time.  And I would point you to the numerous initiatives put forward by the Jobs Council that this administration, under the President’s direction, has taken action on, including a presidential memorandum in August of last year that selected 14 job-creating, high-priority infrastructure projects for expedited review -- four of those are already under construction; in March of this year, just a few months ago, an executive order launched an interagency effort to cut red tape and improve outcomes for infrastructure projects; new federal plan that will require timelines concurrent instead of sequential reviews; early coordination among federal, state, and local agencies to reduce duplication and adoption of other best practices.  There are numerous initiatives that have been proposed by the Jobs Council that this administration has acted on, and that will continue to be the case.

Q    So there’s no reason they haven’t met publicly?

MR. CARNEY:  No, there’s no specific reason except the President has obviously got a lot on his plate.  But he continues to solicit and receive advice from numerous folks outside the administration about the economy, about the ideas that he can act on with Congress or administratively to help the economy grow and help it create jobs.

Q    With the violence intensifying in Syria, will the U.S. be prepared if the Assad regime were to collapse in a matter of days?

MR. CARNEY:  Your question goes I think to the point I was making earlier about the escalating violence, about the fact that as Assad has stayed in power and continued to perpetrate violence against his own people, that the situation has become more, and not less, chaotic, that the opportunity for a peaceful transition begins to diminish.

Now, we believe that that opportunity still exists.  That’s why we need to come together with our partners internationally, form a consensus that embraces the notion that a transition in Syria is taking place and must take place, and that it cannot include President Assad because he has forfeited long ago any credibility he has with the Syrian people. 

And we call on our friends and our partners internationally to recognize that Assad is a spent force in terms of history.  He will not be a part of Syria’s future.  And the best possible course of action for every country with an interest in the region and in the future of the Syrian people is to ally with the Syrian people and support a transition that is inclusive and allows for the establishment of a process and a democratic future for Syria.

Q    On another subject, there’s been some Democratic pushback recently on what they see as Republican attempts to basically hold the President hostage to the threat of the sequester.  Are you concerned that this might have a chilling effect on hiring by defense contractors and others who see us heading ever closer to that fiscal cliff?

MR. CARNEY:  The President’s position is and has been that Congress needs to do what -- do the work that Congress assigned itself back last summer when it passed, with bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate, the Budget Control Act.

The sequester, which was part of that legislation, was designed to be unpalatable to everyone.  It was designed to have cuts that no one supported in both defense spending and in non-defense spending.  And it was designed that way precisely because it required -- what was required was the kind of motivation to make some tough choices and tough votes that Congress clearly needs in order to do the right thing, which is embrace a balanced approach to long-term deficit and debt reduction. 

That is an approach the President supports.  It is embodied in the proposals he’s put before Congress.  It’s a position that is broadly supported by the American people, by bipartisan commissions like the Bowles-Simpson Commission and the Domenici-Rivlin Commission.  It is supported by the so-called Gang of Six. It is supported by all right-thinking people everywhere except, perhaps, in one portion of the Congress.

And the President believes that the simple adoption of the premise that we need to have a balanced approach so that deficit reduction and debt control is not -- the burden of that is not borne solely by seniors, solely by the middle class, but borne by everybody in a balanced way would move this process forward. 

And we’ve seen some signs of recognition that revenues need to be part of the approach on behalf of some elected Republicans, and we hope that we begin to see more of that, because that is clearly what needs to be done and it’s clearly what the American people support.

Q    I understand the reasoning for the President’s position.  I’m asking about concerns about the impact on job creators.  Does it trouble you as we move closer to this cliff that defense contractors see huge cuts if Democrats and Republicans don’t work it out.

MR. CARNEY:  And the President opposes those cuts, does not believe those cuts are wise, they’re too deep.  They are not -- they are much deeper than the President has proposed in his budget for a reason.  And that is why Congress needs to act to avert the enforcement of the sequester, and there is time for Congress to do that.

Again, we have been debating these issues and engaging at a deep, substantive level on these issues for quite some time now  -- certainly for as long as I’ve been in this job.  And the result of that is that the work has been done, we know what we need to do, we know what the options are.  We know what the Republican proposal is, we know what the President’s proposal is. We know what is broadly supported by interested communities around this issue.  We know what would help the economy, we know what would harm the economy.  And we need to simply accept that compromise requires the kinds of steps the President took to sign into law spending cuts of substantial size -- $2 trillion. 

It requires embracing the kinds of reforms in our health care entitlements that the President has embraced and put forward.  And it requires Republicans to accept the simple proposition that seniors, folks with disabled children, and the middle class should not have to bear the cost of getting our fiscal house in order by themselves; that the wealthiest Americans who have, by comparison with the middle class, done far better over the past decade, ought to do their fair share.

And on the general principle of tax cuts, I think it’s worth noting that the President simply supports -- as he long has -- the return of the tax rates for the top 2 percent of American earners to the level that was in place in the 1990s under President Clinton.  And the beauty of this is now we have an empirical example of what the impact of those tax rates had on our economy, and would have if they were implemented again in the future. 

And although some, including the aforementioned current Speaker of the House, warned about doom and gloom when those rates were put into place by President Clinton in 1993 -- economic Armageddon I think was predicted -- what we got instead was the opposite.  We got the longest peacetime expansion of our economy in history.  We got 23 million jobs created.  And the middle class saw its positioning made more secure – middle-class incomes actually went up.  And millionaires and billionaires did pretty darn well also.  So I think that’s a recent example that should help guide us into the future.

Q    Let me try one more if I can. 

MR. CARNEY:  Sure.

Q    Wheaton College, an evangelical school in Illinois, is joining Catholic groups in their lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive requirement.  Any reaction to that?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m not aware of that.  I’ll have to -- I mean, our position is as it was, but I am not aware of that report.

Yes, sir.  And then Norah.

Q    Just to follow up on Wendell’s line of questioning on the sequester.  Does the President or does the administration think it would be appropriate to negotiate legislation to avoid a sequester in a lame duck session?

MR. CARNEY:  The President believes that Congress should act now to render moot the sequester by passing balanced deficit and debt reduction.  If Congress doesn't do that now, it must do that after the election.  But that is the course of action that needs to be taken.

Q    But there's an alternative --

MR. CARNEY:  They simply can't -- the alternative is to ignore a problem that is easily fixable.  And Congress promised before the nation, when bipartisan majorities in both Houses voted for the Budget Control Act, that they were not going to do that; they were going to embrace the challenge and come together and pass legislation that could garner bipartisan support.  And the only legislation that can garner bipartisan support is legislation that addresses our fiscal challenges in a balanced way.  That's what they have to do. 

Q    So the President would oppose a short-term extension?

MR. CARNEY:  I'm not going to negotiate what may or may not happen in December.  What I will tell you is the President's position is clear about what Congress needs to do. 

Q    One quick follow -- and it just came across the wires  -- the President has apparently spoken with Vladimir Putin.  Can you give us any sort of readout on that?  The topic was Syria, as we understand it.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I don't have any additional information for you, except I can confirm that the President did speak with President Putin.  But I'll have more information for you. 

Q    On Syria?

MR. CARNEY:  I believe that was a topic of discussion, yes.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MR. CARNEY:  Not that I'm aware of.

Q    Jay, he called him?

MR. CARNEY:  President Putin. 

Q    Who called who?

MR. CARNEY:  I believe we initiated the call, but I will have to double-check. 

Q    Two questions.  The first is Mitt Romney's campaign and its allies have been trying to make hay out of the fact that a lot of companies with connections to Obama donors have received grants and loans, loan guarantees from the Energy Department.  The question is whether you think it's -- is there anything wrong with a company or an individual who has supported the President politically also receiving government support for their endeavors?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think these charges have been appropriately labeled by some of your colleagues as ridiculous, totally false, unfounded.

Q    Is that what you're labeling them?

MR. CARNEY:  We certainly believe that and know that.  The fact of the matter is these programs, a principal one of which was started under the Bush administration, gave out loans on a merit basis.  And that's been well established. 

Republicans in the House have been investigating this stuff for more than a year.  And you know what they got so far?  Nothing, because the program, again, was -- the loans are assigned on a merit-based basis. 

And we have long acknowledged that one of the reasons why -- and this was true under the Bush administration when one of these programs was established -- that you create these investment programs to invest in industries that might not otherwise get that seed money that they need to grow and that, inherently, there is some risk involved in that. 

But the broader principle here is that we need to build those industries in the United States, because they will be vital industries in the 21st century and if we don't build them here, they will be built in China or Europe or India or elsewhere, and jobs will be created in China or India or Europe or elsewhere.  And this President was not willing to cede these key 21st century industries to the Chinese or the Indians or the Europeans or others.
 
So that was why he made the investments through the Recovery Act that he did.  Those investments have supported hundreds of thousands of jobs.  And, even more significantly, they have helped clean energy industries here in the United States expand and place roots into the American economy in a way that will continue to pay dividends economically for years to come.

Q    My second question, following up on Donovan's question about the Jobs Council -- I'm wondering if it's at all awkward for the President to be campaigning against recommendations that the Jobs Council made, such as the territorial tax system.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, no.  I think we made clear when the Jobs Council was created, these are outside advisors who, by design, come from different areas of the economy and they bring different views, and they are not members of the administration.  And that's the whole purpose of it.  And the President wanted this outside input and he wanted to evaluate ideas.  And, obviously, he will embrace and support some of them -- and he has, as I began to speak about earlier -- and others, he won't support.

So the territorial tax system that you reference, the President doesn't support that because, as was demonstrated in a report published in Tax Notes earlier this week, it would create a situation where jobs are created overseas rather than in the United States.  I mean, it stands to reason if you give a tax incentive to companies to build factories overseas, they're going to do that, and the jobs that come along with that will be created overseas.

Q    What does that say about your Jobs Council, if they were promoting an idea that would be so harmful?

MR. CARNEY:  It says that the President has received many fine ideas from the Jobs Council that he agrees with and he supports, and that he doesn’t agree with and support every idea that everybody has put on the table.  Because he has to balance the various interests that are at stake when he looks at what's best for the American economy, what's best for the middle class, what's best for manufacturing here in the United States, and what approaches are best to encourage companies to build factories in the United States, open offices in the United States, and hire American workers.  That is his focus, and that has driven his economic proposals and it is driving his economic vision for the next four years. 

Q    Jay, so Speaker Boehner -- and I know you said you hadn't heard his comments -- but he also -- you said in response to his comment that Ben talked about that it's important to look at the policy debate.  That's also part of what the Speaker was saying.  He was saying that the President's campaign is not focused on the policy debate -- they're focused on Governor Romney's tax returns.  And he called this a distraction.  He said the President is trying to distract the American people.  If you're looking at priorities based on rhetoric, does he have a point that that's an attempt at distraction?

MR. CARNEY:  No, he doesn’t.  And I would refer campaign-specific questions to the campaign.  But the President's priorities -- and you hear him talk about it everywhere he goes, both when he is having official events and when, as yesterday, he has campaign events -- and he talks very specifically about concrete economic proposals and his vision for helping the economy grow and helping secure the middle class.

And the debate about encouraging insourcing, as opposed to encouraging outsourcing, is fundamental to economic policy and the kinds of choices we need to make going forward.  And it's one that I think illustrates a real difference between the President and, unfortunately, the Republicans. 

I mean, here is a proposal that is currently being discussed on Capitol Hill and the Senate about eliminating loopholes that exist in our tax code that encourage companies to take jobs overseas.  Now, we shouldn't be doing that.  Why would Congress want to encourage companies to send jobs overseas?  We should be taking action to encourage companies to build and invest here in the United States and create jobs here in the United States.  That's the President's position. 

That's embodied in the proposal that he has put forward that the Senate is considering.  And it makes no sense to him, or to me, that Republicans wouldn't support that.  Unfortunately, there has been opposition to that.  We hope it can be overcome.

Q    But it just sounds like the President -- you're saying the President isn't focused on this line of attack, because it's his campaign. 

MR. CARNEY:  No, I didn't say that at all.  I said one of the issues that's being debated in the campaign as it relates to the President's opponent has to do with vision and what policies he is for with regards to outsourcing versus insourcing.

Q    But also the tax returns is --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I mean, one of the issues that I think -- again, I think you ought to take specific questions about Governor Romney and the campaign to the campaign.  But what the President believes --

Q    So there's a firewall?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, there are issues that I think are best addressed by the campaign.  But I can tell you what the President believes and what his positions are.  And I can tell you on the issue of his policy positions on outsourcing and insourcing, and the distinctions that exist between his position and Governor Romney's.  He feels very strongly about that.  That's why he is pushing them so hard, both on the campaign trail and in Congress. 
And when it comes to transparency and accountability, the President believes that that comes with the office.  I mean, he has said -- and I will quote him -- that when you're President of the United States, you are responsible and you live by the adage that Harry Truman coined, that "the buck stops here."  And the whole debate about whether -- when you're President of the United States, you can't say, well, I know I have the title but I'm not really responsible for what happens here in the White House or in the federal government, I was doing other things -- you are responsible, and the President believes that very strongly.

And if you're going to run for President, it's not necessarily comfortable, but it's become a tradition and it's an important one, you make your tax returns available because you think the American people deserve that kind of transparency. 

So, again, I'm speaking for the President.  If you have questions about how the campaign specifically is addressing these issues, you should take them to the campaign.  But the President -- his record demonstrates that and he very much supports it.
Q    And I want to follow up on a question about Wheaton College.  We've actually -- we've filed a story on this, Wheaton College joining Catholic University in a lawsuit --

MR. CARNEY:  I just got this question and I don't have -- I'm not even aware of it, so I'll have to take the question.

Q    I mean, it's pretty simple -- they're joining Catholic University.  There are many institutions that are suing over this.  I'm just wondering if there's a concern that this is sort of just a sign of just a sign of more to come.  The administration has already lost the support of its key ally, the Catholic Health Association.  Is there a concern that there is more to come?

MR. CARNEY:  The President, as you know, when this was a topic of discussion earlier this year, was committed to finding a balance between religious liberty -- which he has a strong attachment to and belief in -- and the need to ensure that women had access to important preventive services, including contraception.  And he made sure that that balance was struck in the policy that is moving forward.  And that’s the position he’s taken.

I don’t have -- in terms of the iterations of developments in court cases, again, I’m not aware of the specific case or the fact that this college is involved in it.

Q    Well, but that’s just it.  This is the premier evangelical institution in the U.S. joining a lawsuit.  Isn’t that a development?  How does it register?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I’m not saying that it’s -- I mean, it’s clearly a development if CNN has done a story on it.  (Laughter.) But the --

Q    It broke an hour before the briefing.

MR. CARNEY:  A whole hour?

Q    Yep.

MR. CARNEY:  What I’m saying is that as a matter of principle, I just don’t have anything specific on this event since I was informed about it by one of your colleagues earlier. What I can tell you is that the President believes very strongly in finding the balance that he believes he found and the administration found in putting forward the policy that’s put forward.

And on specific legal actions, I would have to take the question -- or probably refer you to the Department of Justice.

Q    The Syrian opposition has been vocal in their criticism of the Obama administration, saying that you haven’t been doing enough and basically, all that they’re receiving is rhetoric that President Assad has to step down.  How do you respond to that?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I would say that the United States has led the effort to organize the international community to try to unify the international community in support of both the Syrian opposition, but more broadly the Syrian people and the whole premise that there needs to be a transition in Syria without President Assad.

Our very clear position on the brutality that Assad has perpetrated, the fact that he long ago gave up any opportunity to participate in a transition to democracy in Syria, has been vocal and clear.  And it is not -- it is a simple fact that at the United Nation, efforts that we supported and led to pass resolutions that would have -- that we believe were the correct ones against Assad, were not supported by Russia and China.  And we’ve been very clear about our disappointment in that. 

And that’s why we’ve continued to work with the Russians and the Chinese to try to persuade them that history is not on the side of those who would ally themselves with President Assad; that it is in the interest of peace, it is in the interest of the Syrian people, and it is in the interest of those nations that want a continued relationship with Syria and the Syrian people to support a transition in Syria that does not include President Assad.

Q    What do you mean by when you say "transition"?  You often said that from this podium.  What do you mean by "transition"?

MR. CARNEY:  We mean, as we’ve seen elsewhere, there has to be a process that -- a transition period that allows for the interim government, if you will, that allows for the establishment of a new democratic process in that country that would eventually --

Q    -- include this current regime?

MR. CARNEY:  No.  Our point is without this regime -- I mean, that’s the point we’ve been making -- that Assad cannot participate in that process because he has lost all credibility with his people by the simple fact that he has gone around the country killing innocent Syrian civilians.

Q    Jay, you just said you are pursuing --

MR. CARNEY:  I’m sorry?

Q    You are pursuing the situation with the United Nations right now.  What is your strong leverage to use against Russian veto today?

MR. CARNEY:  We are in regular conversation with the Russians and we’ve made our positions clear.  And our point to the Russians and others is that, as I just said, if you ally with Assad, you’re going to end up on the wrong side of history, and that a continued relationship with Syria and the Syrian people I think depends upon making the right decisions now, because Syria’s future will not include Assad.  Syrians need to be able to determine their own future in a democratic way.  And it is in everyone’s interest in the region and beyond to support a process that allows for that process to take place, that responds to the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Syrian people.

Thanks very much.

END  
1:44 P.M. EDT

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Readout of the Presidents Call with President
Putin

President Obama called Russian President Putin today to discuss the developing situation in Syria.  The two Presidents noted the growing violence in Syria and agreed on the need to support a political transition as soon as possible that achieves our shared goal of ending the violence and avoiding a further deterioration of the situation.  They noted the differences our governments have had on Syria, but agreed to have their teams continue to work toward a solution. President Obama also took the opportunity to express condolences on the tragic loss of life resulting from flooding in southern Russia earlier this month and reiterated the U.S. readiness to provide assistance if needed.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

CareFusion Provides Update On Voluntary Recall Of
EnVe Ventilator

CareFusion issued the following update regarding its previously announced voluntary recall of EnVe ventilators. The FDA has classified this action as a Class 1 recall.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm312682.htm

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Remarks by the President Honoring the 2012 NCAA
Women's Basketball Champion Baylor Lady Bears

East Room

2:31 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  Hello!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Everybody please have a seat.  Welcome to the White House, everybody.  And congratulations to the Baylor Lady Bears on their undefeated season and second national championship.  (Applause.)

There are some proud members of Congress who are here today.  We’ve got a bunch of proud Texans in the house.

I want to thank all the outstanding young women who are behind me, and the coach, for making my bracket look good -- at least on the women’s side.  (Laughter.)  I picked Baylor over Notre Dame, but I have to say, I wasn’t the only one.  It wasn’t that hard.  (Laughter.)  Because if there’s one thing to describe this team, it was dominant. 

Last season, the Lady Bears scored more points than any team in women’s college basketball history.  (Applause.)  They became the first team ever -- men’s or women’s -- to win 40 games in a season.  (Applause.)

Now, this is not to say that success came easily.  After a tough loss to Texas A&M in the Elite Eight last year, the Lady Bears decided they weren’t going to go through that again.  So they buckled down, they spent all summer in the gym.  And they have not lost since -- not to the Aggies, and not to anybody else.  (Laughter.)

So obviously, a lot of credit goes to Coach Kim Mulkey.  This is Coach’s fifth national championship -- she just -- she likes to win if you haven’t noticed.  (Laughter.)  She won two as a star player at Louisiana Tech, one as an assistant coach, and now two as head coach at Baylor.  That’s an incredible thing.  (Applause.) 

I want to point out that’s the first person in college basketball history to win titles in all three roles.  I heard she plans to win her next one as mascot -- (laughter) -- so that she can -- but -- (laughter) -- I mean, she’s got to figure out what else she can win at this point.  But we want to congratulate Coach Kim for leading this team and being named Coach of the Year in women’s basketball.  Congratulations.  (Applause.)

Now, obviously, a great winning team requires a great coach, but it’s not as if on the court the players were slackers, either.  We can’t say enough about Brittney Griner.  This young woman is the new face of women’s basketball -- she blocks shots, she rebounds, she’s got the jump-hook, she’s got the dunk. 

She won just about every award that you could win last season.  And I have to say that there have been times in the past where I shot around a little bit with the visiting team, but this time I don’t think I can get my shot off, so -- (laughter) -- I’m not doing that this year.  (Applause.)  Not doing that this year.

She’s not the only one I’m scared of.  You’ve got Odyssey Sims, who just owned the backcourt, earned her reputation as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the country.  Senior Terran Condrey, or “Big Shot T” --

TEAM:     Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  Where did she go?  Right here?  Knocking down jump shots.  Three other seniors -- Ashley Field, Lindsay Palmer, and Cherrish Wallace who anchored this team for four of the most successful years in school history.

So we know that the Lady Bears are talented on the court.  But when practice is over, they worked just as hard.  Some made the Big 12 Honor Roll with perfect GPAs.  That’s worth an applause right there.  (Applause.)  They read with students at elementary schools in Waco and served meals to the homeless.  They traveled around the world, caring for infants at an AIDS orphanage and building houses in Kenya.  

The Lady Bears also made a difference in one little girl, who is so special to them that the team brought her along for today’s visit.  Haley Klepper, who is right here -- hey, Haley.  (Applause.)  Haley is as brave as can be and has just gone through some struggles.  But when the team found out about Haley and all the stuff that she goes through every day, and she’s such a brave little girl, they immediately took her under their wing.  So she has her own spot reserved in the Baylor locker room, and -- she’s a pretty big fan.  She cheers from the sidelines just about at every home game, is that right?  (Laughter.)  So we’re thrilled to have Haley here.  
    
This team just sets a terrific example for girls everywhere -- as athletes, as scholars, as leaders in their community.  I could not be prouder of this team.  And I’ve said -- I was saying to them before we came out, as the father of two daughters who are tall and beautiful just like them, it is great to have role models who can show that women can be strong and athletic and competitive, but also play as a team.  That’s a terrific lesson for my daughters and it’s a terrific lesson for girls everywhere. 

And so we could not be prouder of them.  And since they’ve got all five starters coming back, I suspect that they’re the odds-on favorite for my bracket next year as well.  (Laughter.)  So congratulations, everybody.  (Applause.)

END      
2:40 P.M. EDT

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Statement by the President on the Terrorist
Attack in Bulgaria

I strongly condemn today’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israelis in Bulgaria. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured, and with the people of Israel, Bulgaria, and any other nation whose citizens were harmed in this awful event. These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous. The United States will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack. As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people.

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Remarks by the First Lady at a Let's Move!
Cities, Towns and Counties Announcement

Lenfest Police Athletic League Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

12:28 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you. You all, please, rest yourselves.  (Applause.)  I guess standing is good for fitness, as well, so -- thank you.  (Applause.)

Let me say I am more than delighted to be here with so many outstanding leaders from cities, towns and counties all across America.  And I am thrilled to announce these groundbreaking commitments to support the work that you all are doing to build healthy communities for all of our children.  

And I want to start by thanking your mayor, Mayor Nutter, not just for that very kind introduction, but for the terrific work that is happening here in Philadelphia.  He has just been an amazing, inspiring, energetic leader on behalf of these issues.  And I want to thank him for hosting us here today.  (Applause.)

And I have to recognize our fantastic Secretary of Health and Human Services -- to Secretary Sebelius, I want to thank her for her friendship and leadership.  She's been phenomenal.  (Applause.)

And I want to echo the thank-yous for our outstanding partners in this new coalition.  The National League of Cities -- I want to thank them for taking the lead and working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and NACO to coordinate these commitments.  I want to thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their critical contributions.

I also want to thank Blue Cross Blue Shield and Partnership for a Healthier America for supporting new Play Streets where families can walk and play and bike together.  And of course, KaBOOM for supporting new playgrounds -- like the one that we're going to unveil here today -- where kids can get around and get the exercise they need to stay healthy. 

And I want to ask all these leaders, all the representatives from these organizations to stand, because I think -- I would love to show you all our love and appreciation.  Would all the representatives from the partnering organizations please stand so that we can recognize you?  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

More than anything else, these commitments are what Let’s Move Cities, Towns and Counties is all about.  It’s about supporting leaders like you who are on the front lines -- our mayors -- working to solve our childhood obesity epidemic so that all of our children in this country can grow up healthy.

In fact, as some of you may remember, one of the very first groups I spoke to about this issue was the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  It was back in 2010.  And we hadn’t even launched Let's Move yet.  But I knew that local leaders were going to be critical partners in this effort, because more than just about anyone else, these leaders know the impact these issues have on their communities. 

You all see it in your budgets -- in the tens of millions of dollars in obesity-related health care costs.  You see it in your workforce -- because when kids aren’t healthy, they miss more days of school.  And that can mean higher absenteeism as parents have to stay home and care for those kids. 

And all of that doesn’t just affect the businesses in your communities today.  It also affects whether new businesses will come and set up shop in the years ahead, or whether they’ll see high health care costs and lower productivity, and decide to go elsewhere with their business.

But I didn’t just start with leaders like all of our local city officials because I knew that they would understand the problem.  I started with them because I knew that our cities, towns and counties would be a key part of the solution to this issue.  You see -- and I’ve said this again and again -- there is no one-size-fits all policy or program that can solve this problem.  And Washington certainly does not have all the answers on this issue.  Instead, many of the best, most innovative, most effective solutions start in our city halls and our towns and our county councils.  They start with leaders like all of these men and women on this stage who see people’s struggles up close and who govern where people see it and feel it the most. 

And whether it’s the roads people drive on or the schools their children attend, the issues these leaders deal with, as Mayor Nutter said, they are not Democratic or Republican issues. They’re issues that affect every last one of us, no matter what party -- if any -- we belong to. 

And the same is true for childhood obesity.  This isn't a political issue.  It is not a partisan issue.  It’s about the future we all want for our children.  And that’s why, on that January day two and a half years ago, I asked all of these leaders to be the frontline leaders in our work to reclaim our children’s health. 

And since that time, all of these individuals have stepped up and answered that call in ways that we never could have imagined.  Mayor Chip Johnson of Hernando, Mississippi, credited his city’s very first Parks Department and -- he created that park -- and he planted a community garden and brought in a farmer’s market as well. 

In Avondale, Arizona, under the leadership of Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers, they opened an 80,000 square foot soccer, basketball and volleyball facility, and they partnered with school districts and the Boys & Girls Club to start an after-school program where kids can get active. 

And Commissioner Larry Johnson of Dekalb County, Georgia, hosted a "DeKalb Day of Play," they hosted a DeKalb Diabetes Awareness bike ride, and an annual four-mile walk called -- and I love this name -- "DeKalb Walks for the Health of it!"  Yeah.  (Laughter.) 

Here in Philadelphia, Mayor Nutter has installed bike lanes, and raised food and fitness standards in after-school programs here.  He's helped 630 corner stores sell healthier products like fruits and vegetables. 

And thanks to Mayor Cornett, folks in Oklahoma City, as he told you, they have lost more than a million pounds.  I mean, that's just amazing.  And I think he put it best when he said:  "Lives are being changed here."  That's what's going on -- lives are being changed all over the country because that is exactly what all of these leaders are doing every day -- you all are changing our children’s lives every day.  You’re helping them learn and grow and fulfill every last bit of their potential. 

And thanks to the commitments that we’re announcing today, our cities, towns and counties will be better able to do even more.  You all will be able to provide more healthy food for our kids.  You’ll be able to build more playgrounds and play-spaces for our families.   And no matter what challenge you’re confronting, no matter what project you decide to tackle, you’re going to have more of the tools and the assistance you need to truly make a difference in the lives of our kids. 

And I want to be very clear to all of the other leaders out there -- you don’t have to spend a fortune to have an impact on this issue.  And I know that today, many city and county budgets are stretched thinner than ever before.  And I know that all of the leaders have to make some very hard choices to keep their cities, towns and counties afloat.  But fortunately, when it comes to helping our kids lead healthier lives, it doesn’t take big money to get big results. 

What it does take are manageable, common-sense changes in our families and our communities.  What it does take is a commitment from all of us, not just as executives and officials, but as parents and grandparents who love our children and want to give them every opportunity to succeed. 

And finally, it takes leaders like all of the folks here on this stage, pushing and innovating, and bringing people together on behalf of our children.  And again, Mayor Johnson put it best when he said -- this is his quote -- he said, "My job is not to tell people to be healthy, but it's to create an atmosphere and opportunities for good health in Hernando."  And that’s what all of these leaders are doing every single day.  That’s what we’ve been doing over these past two and a half years through Let's Move. 

And I just think about all that we’ve changed together, and all that we've achieved.  Think about how, this afternoon, there are kids across this country, they're going to be out riding their bikes, and running around on playgrounds, and picking up vegetables at community gardens.  And then this evening, parents are going to walk to stores in their communities and be able to pick up something healthy for dinner.  This weekend, families are going to play together in their neighborhood parks, and hike together on local trails in their communities.

And make no mistake about it, these small daily acts -- is what I tell people -- these very small changes in how we live our lives -- all of that adds up over time.  That's what makes the difference.  And we’re already beginning to see the difference in communities across this country.  We’re already feeling the momentum that we’ve created as leaders from every sector of our society are uniting on behalf of our kids.  From our schools to our businesses, from our health providers to our faith leaders, everywhere we look we see people coming together to support families who want to make healthier choices. 

And so much of that good work started in cities like Philadelphia and with leaders like all of the men and women here today.  And today, I want to urge city, town and county leaders across this country to join us and become a part of this movement.  I want you all to go to letsmove.gov -- that may be easier than healthycommunitieshealthyfutures.organization, but you can go to either one, and you can go there to sign up for Let’s Move Cities, Towns and Counties.  It's a wonderful website and it's very user-friendly.

We want you to share your good ideas and best practices.  We want you to take advantage of these new commitments and all the tools and expertise our partners have to offer. 

And if anyone out there who's considering this ever has any doubt about the difference that you as leaders can make, I just want to share a story about a young 12 year-old boy named Mason Carter -- Mason Carter Harvey.  He is from Oklahoma, and I had the privilege of meeting him earlier this year at the White House, at the Easter Egg Roll.  He had traveled all the way to D.C.

And for years, Mason struggled with obesity -- and he showed me his picture -- until finally, last year, he decided that it was time for him to change his habits and to get healthy.  So what did this young man do?  He cut down chips and candy; he started playing sports -- he said he loves to ride his bike -- he started riding his bike.  And within a year, this young man, 12 years old, lost 85 pounds.  And today he is healthier than ever before.  Look good, you know?  (Laughter.) 

And a few months ago, inspired by Mayor Cornett’s efforts in Oklahoma City, he sent the Mayor an email.  And in his email he wrote he said, "It’s kind of funny that I'm writing this letter to you on Martin Luther King Day.  He had a dream and so do I.  My dream is to help other kids that are obese and help them get better.  I would like to be a spokeskid."  That's what he told the Mayor -- he wants to be a spokeskid. 

And Mason followed his dream.  He didn’t just write a letter, he followed his dream.  And since that day, he has been traveling around the country -- that's why he was at the White House -- he's been giving speeches, he's been sharing stories with kids in his community.  He’s sponsored walks and other events to help kids get active.  He even created his own website called, strivefor85.com.

I mean, just imagine, 12 years old, showed up at the White House, too.  (Laughter.)  Amazing.  Now, just imagine how much we could accomplish if we inspired more kids like Mason.  Right?  Imagine how many lives we could change.  And that is the kind of impact that each of us can have -- each of the leaders of cities, towns and counties can have.

We still have a long way to go to solve this problem.  We do, we have lots of work to do.  But if leaders like all of these men and women keep coming to the table, and if we all keep working together, then I am beyond confident that we can give all of our children the happy, healthy futures they so richly deserve.  I know that.

So I want to congratulate you all on the work that you're doing.  I want to welcome more to join in.  This actually is working.  So we need more people signing onboard.  So I want to thank you all.

And with that, I’m going to head over to this little station over here at KaBOOM -- we're going to do a little playground cutting, so that these kids who are here can actually start playing.  That's the whole point. 

So I want to thank you all so much.  God bless.  (Applause.)

END              
12:43 P.M. EDT

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!