See, lawsuits not only drive up premiums, which drives up the cost to the patient or the employer of the patient, but lawsuits cause docs to practice medicine in an expensive way in order to protect themselves in the courthouse. The defensive practice of medicine affects the Federal budget. The direct cost of liability insurance and the indirect cost from unnecessary medical procedures raise the Federal Government's health care costs by at least $28 billion a year. Remember, we provide-at the Federal level, we provide health care through Medicare and Medicaid and veteran's health and Government employee costs. The defensive-the cost of defensive medicine raises your bill as a taxpayer. Not only does it make it harder to go see a doc, it also costs you more as a taxpayer. Medical liability reform is a national issue because medical liability lawsuits raise the Federal budget. It is a national issue that requires a national solution. You need to get your Governor-I know he is strongly, and the Lieutenant Governor is strongly in favor of liability reform-you need to work it here in Arkansas, by the way. It is tough, because some of these lawyer groups are some of the politically strongest groups in the State and the country. But we are doing the right thing by insisting upon medical liability reform. We are doing the right thing by telling people the truth, and that is the health care system looks like a giant lottery. That is what it looks like these days because of these lawsuits. And somehow, the trial lawyers always hold the winning ticket. Lawyers walk away with up to 40 percent- 40 percent-of every settlement and verdict, which adds up to billions of costs, billions of unnecessary costs. Lawsuits do not heal patients. And they are driving a wedge between the docs and their patients. One of the most vital links of good medicine is the doctor-patient relationship. Yet many doctors fear what they tell a patient will be used against them in a court of law. We have got a culture of lawsuit here in America, a culture of lawsuits, a litigation culture, which is driving a wedge between the doctors and patients, and that is not right. When docs treat their patients, the only thing they should worry about is the health of their patients, not some trial lawyer breathing down their neck. Seventy-one percent of the doctors in Arkansas say they are considering early retirement. Let me tell you what is happening here in Arkansas, and it is happening in other States too.

Remarks in Little Rock, Arkansas


These frivolous and junk lawsuits are not only driving up the costs, but a lot of docs are thinking about quitting the practice of medicine. Lawsuits drive up the affordability. Lawsuits are driving docs out of the practice, which means there is less availability. You have got to have doctors in your communities. In order to be a vibrant, successful community, you need a viable health care industry with good docs. And yet, 71 percent of the doctors in this State say they are considering early retirement; 50 percent of the physicians say they are having difficulty recruiting new doctors to practice in Arkansas. This litigation culture puts a sign up there saying, If you come to our State, you are likely to get sued. Who wants to do that? People want to practice medicine. They do not want to spend their time defending themselves in the courthouse because of the frivolous and junk lawsuits that are too prevalent today in America. More than a third of the docs are considering moving out of State. See, that says to me you got a problem here in Arkansas. And by the way, again I repeat, you are not alone. Trust me, you are not alone. There is a lot of States that cannot get good medical liability reform through. Today I met with some decent docs and health administrators. Let me tell you their stories so that we get a better feel for why we need medical liability reform at the State and Federal level. She is from Fayetteville, Arkansas. She practices family medicine. She was delivering between 80 and 100 babies a year. Now, there is a soul-a good soul who loves life to the point where she is willing to take her talents and deliver babies. It must be an unbelievably satisfying profession to bring life to be. And yet, in July of 2002, her insurance premiums more than doubled. See, the litigation culture made it nearly impossible for her to practice her love. I say nearly impossible, because she would not break her commitments to expecting patients and hung in there for a year. But her premiums continued to rise, and Dr. McBee has stopped delivering babies, as a direct result of too many junk lawsuits, and that is not right. Let me give you another story. John Wilson is with us. He is an orthopedist from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is been practicing medicine for-I think he said 35 years, 30 of which he was not hassled by lawsuits.

Remarks in Little Rock, Arkansas


In other words, what we are talking about is a new phenomenon here in society-in this society. Besides just healing people, they are called to serve people. And I bet you when you talk to most docs, that is the way they feel as well. So he traveled every week to the Arkansas Delta. And for people who are not familiar with Arkansas, that is a poor, rural area that, frankly, does not have enough doctors. And he heard a calling. So he would go there to help-to love, really, if you think about it-to practice his talent and skills and to love people by helping them, and then he got sued. And the lawsuits were dropped, but he was unable to find insurance because he was told if he kept going over there, the cost of his business, the cost of being a doctor, would rise dramatically. By the way, I went to Mississippi a while ago and talked to a doc who was there in the Mississippi Delta. He came down from another State to practice medicine. He understood there is a lot of poor people there; he wanted to help them. He got sued-for helping poor people, because he is a doctor. The Wilson story and the story I just mentioned to you, it is just all too common. These junk lawsuits not only are running up the cost of medicine; they are making the quality of life of some of our citizens-diminishing the quality of life. Sully and Mary Ligon are with us. They are from Helena-or Henrietta? Anyway, see, the Ligons got help from Dr. Wilson. She was telling me she got injured during one Christmas and tore a rotator cuff, and Dr. Wilson being the good doc he is, fixed it. Her fastball is back up to about 85 miles an hour now. And Sully got knocked over by a cow. He said a wild cow, not a mad cow. It is inconvenient as heck, but they can afford to do so. There is a lot of people there that cannot , and they are missing out on a good doc. And the reason Dr. Wilson is not there is because lawsuits are running up the cost of medicine, make it hard for him to practice. I heard him. We need to do something about it for the sake of a lot of people. I met with Frank Wise. He is from Fulton County Hospital.

Remarks in Little Rock, Arkansas


These junk lawsuits have raised the cost of delivering babies such that they no longer do so in his hospital. And he tells the story about people desperately looking for a place to- for a bed, and babies being delivered on a bridge. Listen, I am going to tell you something. We can have balance in our society when it comes to having a good legal system and a good medical system. D'Borai Lynn Cook-you might have heard of her if you work here. She sees firsthand what it means to practice medicine defensively. She says they over-prescribe to cover themselves to make sure that, as they do their job, they are thinking about what would happen if they end up in a court of law. She says that-she said then there is the negative aspect of defensive medicine with people saying, I am not going to handle that case. See, too many lawsuits affect the lives of a lot of good people, and we need to do something about it. And so I proposed to the Congress to act. My job as the President, if I see problems, is to address them square on, and I expect Congress to do the same thing. I expect Congress to do the same. First of all, we want to make sure the court system is uncluttered. We want to make sure that if a person is injured, they have their day in court. Frivolous and junk lawsuits make it hard for those who get injured to have their day in court, for starters. And secondly, obviously, if they have been hurt by a bad doc, there needs to be a judgment, and that person needs to be able to recover the cost of their care, the recovery, and the economic losses for the rest of their life. Good docs are not afraid to stand up in a court of law. They just do not want to be run out of business because of these junk lawsuits, just filing suit after suit after suit. People ought to be allowed to recover economic damages. But for the sake of a strong health care system, for the sake of making sure health care is accessible and affordable, we need a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages. States that have got a hard cap have seen positive results, have seen the judicial system work well and the medical field stay vibrant. And if harm is caused by truly egregious behavior, patients should be able to recover reasonable punitive damages. What I propose is fair, see.

Remarks in Little Rock, Arkansas


I have laid out something that is balanced and fair, something that addresses a critical national need, and that is the cost of medicine. The problem is, is that some in the United States Senate do not see it that way. That bill I put up there passed the House of Representatives, and it is stuck in the Senate. And your Senators need to hear from you about a balanced, fair system. For the sake of Arkansas and States around the country, you need medical liability reform. We need to make sure we have got joint and several liability reform as well. See, what happens is some of these junk lawsuits, they will just file against everybody. Even though they may not be like 100-percent responsible for an issue, they will have to pay 100 percent of the cost. That hurts hospitals in particular and a lot of docs as well. There just needs to be good, sound national reform that is fair and balanced and full of common sense. The House passed a bill. It is stuck in the Senate. These Senators have got to understand no one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. And I am going to stay on the issue until we get it fixed. Let me talk about one other issue, and then I will let you get back to work. Today I met Mary Lynn Roberson at the airport. I told her I was going to say her name. She has volunteered here for nearly three decades. She visits with family and friends of surgery patients. In other words, she is spreading love, is what she is doing. And the reason I bring that up, and her work, is because the true strength of America is the fact that there are Mary Lynns in every community who are willing to take time out of their personal life to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. We are a mighty nation when it comes to our military, and we will keep it that way. We are a mighty nation when it comes to wealth in our economy, and it is getting better. But the most mighty aspect of our Nation is the fact that our citizens, from all walks of life, care deeply about a neighbor in need. One of the most compelling things about being the President is I get to see on a daily basis the true compassion of our fellow citizens. And I hear just unbelievably fantastic stories about people overcoming big odds, because a neighbor is helped. Somebody has just taken time out of their life to make a difference.

Remarks in Little Rock, Arkansas


Please all be seated, and I want to thank all of you, Senator Paula Hawkins, Congressman Ireland, Congressman Connie Mack McCollum, the distinguished people here, and Mr. and Mrs. Eisner, all of you ladies and gentlemen, and these wonderful young people. We have come here our first stop this morning on this Decoration Day was at Arlington Cemetery and I just wonder if because of the special character of this day, Memorial Day, if we could not perhaps bow our heads for a few seconds in silent prayer for those who have given their lives that we might live in liberty. Well, indeed it is an honor for me to be here today to receive a magnificent gift that I received on a second and very much warmer Inauguration Day. I understand that in preparing for this event more than 2,500 young people worked with sponsors in the private sector who donated food, transportation, and lodging. And each of you who helped to make this private sector initiative possible has my heartfelt thanks. Tomorrow evening I will address the Nation about a dramatic proposal to reform our tax system. It is a proposal intended to launch a new American revolution and to give to you young people, as you come of age, a nation of ever-greater freedom and vitality and strength. You know, today we are enjoying a standard of living that, when I was your age, could not even have been imagined. Buoyed by medical breakthroughs and rising standards of living, the life expectancy of Americans has been increasing steadily for 50 years. I have already surpassed my own life expectancy at my birth by 20 years. Now, there are a lot of people that find that a source of annoyance, but I appreciate it very much. Today we take for granted so many inventions that inspired wonder not long ago the polio vaccines of Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin; television, first in black and white and now in vivid color; drought-resistant seeds and cold-resistant grains; computers in the workplace and the home; spacecraft that can orbit the Earth for days and then land gently on a desert runway. Despite the predictions so many made during the Great Depression when I was a young man, life in America today is not worse it is far better. Was it government directing our daily lives? During these past five decades the Government has indeed provided vital services and helped improve life for many people. No one doubts the necessity of a strong national defense or the role our military has played in keeping us free.

Remarks to Participants in the President's Inaugural Bands Parade at Walt Disney's EPCOT Center Near Orlando, Florida


Likewise no one doubts the importance of the government safety net for those in genuine need. Yet our national experience shows that when government grows beyond these two limited duties, when government lays claim to more and more of our resources and begins, through massive regulation and high taxation, to impinge on our individual freedoms, then our economy grows not more prosperous but less so. Throughout the 1970's, for example, government's growth was unbridled, yet our economy stagnated. By 1980 the gross national product registered zero growth. If it was not the Government that spurred our economic growth was it perhaps our natural resources? Our vast land has always been blessed by a mighty multitude of resources broad plains, powerful rivers, and rich deposits of minerals. Yet in a sense, the primary reality of a resource exists not in the earth but in the minds of the men and women who give it usefulness and value. A century ago oil was nothing but a thick, foul, and useless liquid. It was the invention of the internal combustion engine that gave oil its function. Or think of sand, sand that used to be nothing but the stuff that deserts are made of. The development of the silicon microchip has given sand a vital function. And today we use it to make chips that give home computers their intelligence, monitor functions on aircraft, and guide our satellites through the dark reaches of space. No, it is not been so much our resources or our government that have given us our enduring vibrancy and growth but the initiative and enterprise of individual Americans. Air travel, for example, has become commonplace because test pilots like Lindbergh had daring, and engineers like Boeing and Douglas had the wits and determination. The Government might have wished it could simply decree a polio vaccine, but it took years of unremitting effort and dedication by Doctors Salk and Sabin to make the vaccines a reality. In this setting, one story of a private initiative is particularly appropriate. Back in Missouri in the early 1900's there lived a farmboy who discovered that he had a knack for drawing barnyard animals. As an adult, he began to put his animals into cartoons, and he became convinced that he could entertain people by telling stories about a little creature with a high voice, red trousers, and yellow shoes and white gloves. Professionals in the field made fun of the idea, and to produce his first cartoons the young man had to sell or pawn virtually everything he owned.


But today, 57 years later, this man and his creation have become permanently fixed in the history of our popular culture. The determination that each of these heroes of progress demonstrated came from within. Yet in each case it was crucial to the success of their efforts that they were operating in a climate of economic liberty in a free market where they could make use of pooled resources, experiment with new techniques and products, and submit their plans and hypotheses to the test of practical experience. This aspect of freedom, economic freedom, is one of the distinctive characteristics of life in our nation, as interwoven into the American legacy as freedom of speech and press. It has enabled our people to make our nation into a marvel of economic progress, and, as with all the freedoms that we enjoy, it is our duty to cherish and protect it. Just as the American people rebelled against oppressive taxation some two centuries ago, the reform that I will announce tomorrow will represent a dramatic effort to make our tax code more simple, efficient, and fair and place more resources into the hands of your families and, ultimately, you yourselves. It will expand our economic freedom and clear the way for even greater economic vitality than that which we enjoy today. With more resources at their disposal, the American people will be able to provide greater support to the institutions that they themselves value our schools, universities, the arts, our churches and synagogues. John Marshall said, The power to tax involves the power to destroy. If so, then the power to cut taxes must surely be the power to create the power to force government to stand back and let the people themselves give expression to the spirit of enterprise building and imagining; giving to you, our sons and daughters, a nation of ever-greater prosperity and freedom. May you enjoy all the blessings of a free and bountiful nation, and on this, the eve of the second American revolution, may you always remember the enduring truth that our tax plan seeks to embody and that Americans have cherished through the ages God made man for liberty. Thank you all, God bless you, and now, let the parade begin.


On the eve of another election, I have come home to Hyde Park and am sitting at my own fireside in my own election district, my own County and my own State. I have often expressed my feeling that the mere fact that I am President should not disqualify me from expressing as a citizen my views on candidates and issues in my own State. I have changed my mind about the nature of some problems of democratic government over the past few years as I have had more and more experience with them. I had never realized how much my way of thinking had changed until the other day when I was watching the finishing touches being put on a simple cottage I have recently built-a little cottage which, by the way, is not in any sense of the word a dream house. Just watching the building go up made me realize that there was a time not so long ago when I used to think about problems of government as if they were the same kind of problems as building a house-definite and compact and capable of completion within a given time. Once you build a house you always have it. On the other hand, a social or an economic gain is a different matter. A social or an economic gain made by one Administration, for instance, may, and often does, evaporate into thin air under the next Administration. We all remember well known examples of what an ill-advised shift from liberal to conservative leadership can do to an incompleted liberal program. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, started a march of progress during his seven years in the Presidency but, after four years of President Taft, little was left of the progress that had been made. Think of the great liberal achievements of Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom and how quickly they were liquidated under President Harding. We have to have reasonable continuity in liberal government in order to get permanent results. The whole United States concedes that we in the State of New York have carried out a magnificent liberal program through our State government during the past sixteen years. If the continuity of that liberal government had been broken in this State during that time, we would be nowhere near the point we have reached today. The voters throughout the country should remember that need for continuous liberal government when they vote next Tuesday. On that day in every state the oldest of modern democracies will hold an election. A free people will have a free choice to pick free leaders for free men.

Radio Address on the Election of Liberals


In other lands across the water the flares of militarism and conquest, terrorism and intolerance, have vividly revealed to Americans for the first time since the Revolution how precious and extraordinary it is to be allowed this free choice of free leaders for free men. No one next Tuesday will order us how to vote, and the only watchers we shall find at the polls are the watchers who guarantee that our ballot is secret. But we cannot carelessly assume that a nation is strong and great merely because it has a democratic form of government. We have learned that a democracy weakened by internal dissension, by mutual suspicion born of social injustice, is no match for autocracies which are ruthless enough to repress internal dissension. Democracy in order to live must become a positive force in the daily lives of its people. It must make men and women whose devotion it seeks, feel that it really cares for the security of every individual; that it is tolerant enough to inspire an essential unity among its citizens; and that it is militant enough to maintain liberty against social oppression at home and against military aggression abroad. The rest of the world is far closer to us in every way than in the days of democracy's founders-Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln. Comparisons in this world are unavoidable. To disprove the pretenses of rival systems, democracy must be an affirmative, up-to-date conception. It can no longer be negative-no longer adopt a defeatist attitude. In these tense and dangerous situations in the world, democracy will save itself with the average man and woman by proving itself worth saving. Too many of those who prate about saving democracy are really only interested in saving things as they were. Democracy should concern itself also with things as they ought to be. I am not talking mere idealism; I am expressing realistic necessity. I reject the merely negative purposes proposed by old-line Republicans and Communists alike-for they are people whose only purpose is to survive against any other Fascist threat than their own. As of today, Fascism and Communism-and old-line Tory Republicanism-are not threats to the continuation of our form of government. But I venture the challenging statement that if American democracy ceases to move forward as a living force, seeking day and night by peaceful means to better the lot of our citizens, then Fascism and Communism, aided, unconsciously perhaps, by old-line Tory Republicanism, will grow in strength in our land.


It will take cool judgment for our people to appraise the repercussions of change in other lands. And only a nation completely convinced-at the bottom as well as at the top-that their system of government best serves their best interests, will have such a cool judgment. And while we are developing that coolness of judgment, we need in public office, above all things, men wise enough to avoid passing incidents where passion and force try to substitute themselves for judgment and negotiation. During my four years as Governor of the State of New York and during my nearly six years as President, I am proud of the fact that I have never called out the armed forces of the State or Nation except on errands of mercy. That type of democratic wisdom was illustrated last year by the action of Governor Murphy of Michigan when he persuaded the negotiators of the employers and employees to sit around a table. Thus he got an agreement, avoided bloodshed, and earned the praise of both sides of a controversy that had frightened a whole nation. With such an approach, the New Deal, keeping its feet on the ground, is working out hundreds of current problems from day to day as necessities arise and with whatever materials are at hand. We are doing this without attempting to commit the Nation to any ism or any ideology except democracy, humanity and the civil liberties which form their foundations. Our economic and social system cannot deny the paramount right of the millions who toil and the millions who wish to toil, to have it function smoothly and efficiently. After all, any such system must provide efficiently for distributing national resources and serving the welfare and happiness of all who live under it. The modern interdependent industrial and agricultural society which we live in is like a large factory. Each member of the organization has his own job to perform on the assembly line, but if the conveyor belt breaks or gets tangled up, no one in the factory, no matter how hard he tries, can do his own particular job. Each of us-farmer, business man or worker-suffers when anything goes wrong with the conveyor belt. If our democracy is to survive it must give the average man reasonable assurance that the belt will be kept moving. Dictators have recognized that problem. They keep the conveyor belt moving-but at a terrible price to the individual and to his civil liberty. The New Deal has been trying to keep those belts moving without paying such a price.


It does not wish to run or manage any part of our economic machine which private enterprise can run and keep running. That should be left to individuals, to corporations, to any other form of private management, with profit for those who manage well. But when an abuse interferes with the ability of private enterprise to keep the national conveyor belt moving, government has a responsibility to eliminate that abuse. We do not assume for a minute that all we have done is right or all that we have done has been successful, but our economic and social program of the past five and a half years has definitely given to the United States of America a more stable and less artificial prosperity than any other nation in the world has enjoyed in that period. The very fact that the business slump that began last fall and kept running into last summer did not become a major economic disaster, like the terrible slump that ran from 1929 all the way through to 1933, is the best kind of proof that fundamentally we have found the right track. You have just heard the news about the automobile factories and many other industries that are opening up for full employment again. And during the month of October alone over-all employment has risen nearly 3 1/2 per cent. I have been very happy in the last six months to see how swiftly a large majority of businessmen have been coming around to accept the objectives of a more stable economy and of certain necessary supervision of private activities in order to prevent a return of the serious abuses and conditions of the past. But if there should be any weakening of the power of a liberal government next Tuesday, it would resurrect false hopes on the part of some businessmen who are now beginning to change antiquated ideas, hopes that if they can hold out just a little longer no adaptation to change will be necessary. And because these basic desires are well known you find all parties, all candidates, making the same general promises to satisfy these desires. During the weeks before a general election, all parties are the friends of labor, all parties are against monopoly, all parties say that the unemployed must have work or be given government relief, and all parties love the farmer. Of course we believe all these things; we believe in social security; we believe in work for the unemployed; we believe in saving homes. Cross our hearts and hope to die, we believe in all these things; but we do not like the way the present Administration is doing them.


We will do all of them-we will do more of them-we will do them better; and, most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything. But when democracy struggles for its very life, those same people obstruct our efforts to maintain it, while they fail to offer proof of their own will and their own plans to preserve it. They try to stop the only fire engine we have from rushing to the fire because they are sales agents for a different make of fire engine. New ideas cannot be administered successfully by men with old ideas, for the first essential of doing a job well is the wish to see the job done at all. Judge parties and candidates, not merely by what they promise, but by what they have done, by their records in office, by the kind of people they travel with, by the kind of people who finance and promote their campaigns. By their promoters ye shall know them. No national administration, however much it may represent the genuine popular will of the people, can in the long run prove enduringly effective if that administration can be cut off from the people by state and local political machinery controlled by men who are hostile. My own State of New York is to choose a Governor. Ours is the most complex state in the Union-thirteen million population, great farming areas, hundreds of small communities, one huge city of seven million people, and many other cities, great and small. In 1918, twenty years ago, when I was thirty-six years old, I was invited to run for the Governorship of this State. I was then Assistant Secretary of the Navy. I declined the offer, because my job required me at that time to sail on a destroyer for overseas service. I am glad I did, for, looking back on that time, I do not think that I had experience and knowledge of public affairs wide enough to qualify as Governor. Besides, I did not think it quite right to abandon in mid-stream an important public job that I had undertaken. The Governor of this State is called upon to administer eighteen great departments of government and to supervise state institutions that house over one hundred thousand wards of the State. He must be able to understand, and handle the vast and intricate problems of agriculture. He is charged with the supervision of State finance and the maintenance of the State credit. He is responsible for its widespread system of roads, parks, canals, bridges and schools.


He has to maintain, preserve and improve the great body of social legislation already on the statute books of the State-unemployment insurance, workmen's compensation, social security, help for the needy and the underprivileged; and he must see to it that these recent reforms are made to keep pace with the broadening conception of social justice. Equal protection of the law- criminal and civil- for human rights as well as property rights; prosecution of criminals in high financial places as well as in low places; the preservation of civil and religious liberties-all these precious essentials of civilization are entrusted to him. New York has State laws matching every progressive Federal measure of the last five years. They were all enacted under the guiding hand and driving energy of Governor Herbert H. Lehman. Recruits in the battle for economic democracy are always welcome irrespective of party; but at a critical moment in the world's history we cannot take the risk of supplanting seasoned leaders like Governor Lehman with men, no matter how sincere, who have yet to win their spurs or prove what they really know or where they really stand in the fight for social justice. Those who truly and sincerely join the struggle for social justice, economic democracy for its own sake, do not throw stones at veteran fighters in that cause. No one can properly minimize the need of active law enforcement, whether it be in-a great city or in the rural counties of this or any other state. Certainly Governor Lehman has never minimized it, and has never hesitated to call to his assistance in law enforcement, young and vigorous prosecutors, irrespective of politics. We need more active law enforcement, not only against the lords of the underworld, but also against the lords of the over world. It is right-wholly right-to prosecute criminals. But that is not enough, for there is the immense added task of working for the elimination of present and future crime by getting rid of evil social conditions which breed crime. Good government can prevent a thousand crimes for every one it punishes. The fight for social justice and economic democracy has not the allure of a criminal jury trial; it is a long, weary, uphill struggle- and those who give themselves unsparingly to it are seldom acclaimed at my lady's tea or at my gentleman's club.


As a resident and voter in the State of New York I urge my fellow citizens and voters, who are interested in preserving good government and American democracy, to vote for Herbert H. Lehman. Just as a Governor is required to be much more than a good prosecutor, so a United States Senator must be much more than a good lawyer. A Senator from New York must do more than merely vote on whatever bills happen to drift by. He must be able and willing to take the initiative-to keep the legislative wheels turning in the right direction. If you were to list some of the newly recognized major responsibilities of government to meet the complexities of modern. life-security in old age, unemployment insurance, protection of the rights of labor, low-cost housing, and slum clearance you would have a virtual resume of the Acts of the Congress that bear the name of Robert F. Wagner. So often since 1933 has new legislation been described as The Wagner Act that the phrase has become confusing because there have been so many Wagner Acts. For example, there is not only the Wagner Labor Relations Act; there are the Wagner Social Security Act and the Wagner Housing Act; and although you might feel uncertain as to which particular Act is meant by the phrase, you can feel no uncertainty as to this-that any one of the Wagner Acts was an Act intended for the benefit of those who need the help and support of government against oppression and against intolerable conditions of living. His name stands in our history for courageous and intelligent leadership, constructive statecraft and steadfast devotion to the common man and the cause of civil liberties. With him I hope the voters of this State will send to the Senate in Washington an experienced Member of the House of Representatives-James M. Mead-known through many years for his expert knowledge of three fields whose intricate problems press heavily upon government today-railroads, aviation and Civil Service, and for his unflagging support of every liberal measure that has come before the Congress. We need that legislative experience, that temper of mind, that expert knowledge in the United States Senate. Pick those who are known for their experience and their liberalism. Pick them for what they have done, and not just for what they say they might do. Some of them may have come of the earliest Colonial stock; some of them may have been brought here as children to escape the tyrannies of the Old World. But remember that all of them are good American citizens now.


I am delighted to help kick off this 1984 summer youth employment program. And I want to congratulate all the Presidential Certificate Award winners for their dedication to the career development of America's youth and for their generous support of the 1983 private sector jobs program. It is times like this that remind us America was built by people helping people. We are proud to honor you this morning. Would not it be great if we had to hold this out on the South Lawn could not get it in the Rose Garden anymore. Many of you will recall that last July we held a similar ceremony right here in the Rose Garden. And since then, more than 3 million Americans have found jobs. In fact, since the economic expansion began 17 months ago, 5.4 million Americans have found jobs, and the unemployment rate has shown the sharpest drop or the steepest drop in 30 years. Now, that is why when I am asked to describe our economic program I do it with three words jobs, jobs, jobs. But we cannot rest until everyone who wants one and needs one has one. We must and will go forward to keep opportunities expanding, particularly for the young people of America. No single sector of our nation-government, business, labor, or nonprofit organization-can solve the unemployment problem, the needs of our young people. But by working together, pooling our resources and building on our strengths, we can accomplish great things. That is the whole idea behind our youth employment programs' public-private partnerships-to produce real, not make-work, jobs. Partnerships take advantage of opportunities to help America's youth gain a foothold on the economic ladder. Young people who want to work in the summer deserve the chance, and partnerships can make it happen. The summer youth employment program includes a $725 million block grant to State and local governments. This grant will give 718,000 young Americans valuable work experience, but it is only part of our effort to help deserving young people get a start. Another program in place gives employers who hire economically disadvantaged teenagers a tax credit of up to 85 percent of the wages paid. The employers get a young employee the company may not be able to afford without the tax break, and the young worker gets a needed job and valuable work experience in the private sector. Austin Cunningham of Orangeburg, South Carolina, who is with us today, can tell you how well the targeted jobs tax credit program works.

Remarks at a White House Ceremony Marking the Beginning of the Summer Youth Employment Program


After he discovered the program, Mr. Cunningham promoted the idea to 77 other small business men and women in Orangeburg. Together, they hired 264 economically disadvantaged young people. For most of these 16- and 17- year-olds it was their first real job. And when the summer was over, many of them were asked to stay on full-time even though the tax credit no longer applied. Now, that is partnership in action, and everybody's better off because of it. What we are trying to do is help our young people find that critical first job. With experience in the workplace, America's youth can develop skills and demonstrate their qualifications and potential-permanent employers. But far too often, inexperienced and disadvantaged young people are priced out of the labor market by the minimum wage. Well, Ray Donovan and a lot of other people here today have put together legislation that will give a much-needed boost to those looking for that first job. Today I will submit our youth employment opportunity wage act to the Congress. And Senators Percy and Hatch and Congressman Packard, who have worked hard on this bill, will introduce it on the Hill in behalf of the administration and the American people. This legislation would allow employers to hire young people at a lower minimum wage during the summer months. The bill would increase summer employment opportunities and provide explicit safeguards to protect permanent employees and sanctions to prevent abuse. Now, I am delighted that the National Conference of Black Mayors has endorsed the concept of the youth employment opportunity wage. And now that Mayor Johnny Ford, the past president, and Mayor Marion Barry, the current president of the National Conference of Black Mayors, have endorsed this legislation, maybe we can help Chuck, Orrin, and Ron get this important jobs initiative approved by the Congress. While I have the chance, I want to thank Bill Kolberg and all the other executives of the National Alliance of Business for their continuing support in coordinating the summer jobs program. The White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives and the NAB have done an outstanding job in leading this year's effort. And thanks to the support of other business, community, and State and local agencies, we are reaching out and responding to the needs of our young people. Councils like the Greater Kansas City Alliance of Business are using innovative ideas and modern marketing techniques to develop thousands of summer jobs. Companies like Philip Morris, Coca-Cola, Chevron, the American Council of Life Insurance have donated generously to meet the challenge.


I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today's summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived. You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader - American President Franklin Roosevelt - King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy - and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens. Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine. I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith. In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust. Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity-in this region, and in the world. Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God. And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leaders-unique in the history of nations-is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce. For Americans, this is an exciting time.

President Trump's Speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit


in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies - many of whom are here today. Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation. Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia. This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase - and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations. We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond. Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology - located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalization, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership. I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you. America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture-we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all. Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history's great test-to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism. Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.


And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples. God's help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East - and maybe, even all over the world. But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it. Few nations have been spared its violent reach. America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks - from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando. The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence. Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim. We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure. The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams. The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity. This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock. Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the world's great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern ones-including soaring achievements in architecture. Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage. All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty.


And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art. The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz. The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home. But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith. Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death. If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorism's devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered. If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing-then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God. This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between Good and Evil. When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims - we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy. But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong - and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden. Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land. America is prepared to stand with you - in pursuit of shared interests and common security. But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them.


The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children. It is a choice between two futures - and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you. A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not worked-and will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests. Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes - not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms - not sudden intervention. We must seek partners, not perfection-and to make allies of all who share our goals. Above all, America seeks peace - not war. Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion. The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil. Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese ENTITY is hunting ISIS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country. As we deny terrorist organizations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.


I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center - co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered. I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah. That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians. Barbarism will deliver you no glory - piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED. heroes do not kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabia's Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development. The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and souls-and with the U.S., launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism. I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions. That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life - including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities. For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once again-and make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.


In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican - visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible - including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them. But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three-safe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime - launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated. Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the region. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit of conflict and terror. Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve. The decisions we make will affect countless lives. King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world. This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success - a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise.


Thank you, Jonathan, for your service to this country and for continuing to fight for what this country stands for, even after you had to take off the uniform. I also want to recognize the extraordinary performance of Audra McDonald. I want to thank our emcee for this evening, Neil Patrick Harris. Christine Quinn, the New York City council speaker, is here; a great friend of mine who helped move the process forward to make sure that do not ask, do not tell got done, Patrick Murphy is in the house; the DNC treasurer, Andy Tobias, is here--I think they like you, Andy; and I want to thank the cochairs of the LGBT Leadership Council. It is wonderful to be back in New York. I see a lot of new faces, but also a lot of friends who I have known for a very long time. Many of you knew me before I had gray hair. Now, being here with all of you, I cannot help but think back to election night 2 1/2 years ago. We were in Grant Park; some of you were there. Culmination of an extraordinary journey, a campaign that had drawn on the hard work and support of people all across the country, men and women who believed that change was possible, who believed that we did not have to accept politics as usual, who believed that we could once again be a country that lived up to our highest aspirations, not our lowest common denominators. But what I said then at Grant Park was that this was not the end of the road, it was just the beginning. But we knew that it was not going to be easy to rebuild the middle class after a decade of stagnant incomes and rising costs, a decade where a lot of Americans felt like that dream was slipping away. We knew it was not going to be easy to end two wars and restore America's leadership around the world. We knew it was not going to be easy to fix our immigration system, to reform our health care system, to transform our energy policy, to educate our young people for the demands of a global economy. And I said that night, I did not run for President to do easy things. I ran because I believed that as a nation it was time for us to do the hard things. It was time for us to do the big things, even if it took time, even if sometimes it was going to be frustrating.

Remarks at a Democratic National Committee Fundraiser in New York City


I said I was not going to let politics or the typical Washington games stand in our way, because it had held us back for too long. That is what led to the mess that we were dealing with in the first place. So over these past 2 1/2 years, I have had some tough calls to make. I had some tough calls as soon as I took office. We had to prevent a financial system from falling apart and dragging the economy into depression. We had to pass reforms to stop abuses in the financial system and prevent future crises. We had to rescue the auto industry. Even though there were a lot of people who said, let them go, let more than a million jobs vanish, allow two of America's iconic companies to be liquidated and sold off for parts, we said, no, we are going to have to step up, we are going to have to deal with it. But even as we took these emergency steps, we started tackling all the challenges that we had talked about during the campaign, all the things that were standing in the way of the American Dream. Because that is why I ran, that is what the campaign was about. That is why you supported me, because we believed in an economy that did not just work for those at the top, but worked for everybody, where prosperity was shared from the machinist on the line to the manager on the floor to the CEO in the boardroom. We worked so hard in 2008 because we believed that we have to define our success not just by stock prices or corporate profits, but whether ordinary folks can find a good job, whether they can afford a middle class life, whether they can pay the mortgage and take care of their kids and save some money for their child's college education or their own retirement and maybe have a little left over to go to a movie or dinner or even a play--since we are in New York. That is why we cut taxes for middle class families and ended subsidies to the banks for student loans to make college more affordable. That is why I was proud to sign a bill to make sure women earn equal pay for equal work, a basic principle. That is why we are promoting manufacturing and homegrown American energy, because that is what will lead to jobs that pay a decent salary. looking out for ordinary folks in the financial system so they are not cheated.


That is why we passed health reform, so that nobody in the richest nation on Earth ever has to go bankrupt because they or somebody in their family get sick. We waged that long campaign in 2008 because we believed it was time to end the war in Iraq. And that is what we are doing, ending the war in Iraq. We removed a hundred thousand troops from Iraq already, ended combat missions there. We are on track to bring the rest of our troops home by the end of this year. I ran for President because I believed we needed to refocus our efforts in Afghanistan, and we are doing this too. We pummeled Al Qaida. We took out bin Laden. And because of our progress and the extraordinary sacrifices of our troops, we are now fulfilling the commitment I made to start reducing our troops this month so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own security. I also ran because we now live in a world where America is facing stiff competition for good jobs. They are hungry; they are on the move. And for a long time, we were told that the best way to win this competition was to undermine consumer protections, undermine clean air and clean water laws, hand out tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, and everything would work out just fine. In fact, if you look at our history, you will see that philosophy has never worked out very well. America was built on the hard work of people and the ingenuity of our businesses. But we also built a system of free public high schools and sent a generation to college on the GI bill. We constructed railroads and highways that spanned a continent. We invested in research and technology, and we sent a man to the Moon, and we discovered lifesaving medicine. We launched the Information Age, creating millions of jobs along the way. That is how you build a nation. That is how you build a strong middle class. And that is what we need to do today. And it is absolutely critical that we cut the deficit. Like families all across America, Government has to live within its means. And I am prepared to bring down our deficit by trillions of dollars; that is trillions with a t. But I will not reduce our deficit by sacrificing the education of our young people. We cannot stop medical research being done by our scientists. We cannot stop building the infrastructure that made this country great.


I am not going to sacrifice clean energy at a time when our dependence on foreign oil has caused Americans so much pain at the pump. That does not make any sense. In other words, I will not sacrifice America's future. What makes America great is not just the scale of our skyscrapers or our military might or the size of our GDP. What makes us great is the character of our people. We do not like being told what to do. But what also makes us who we are is we have got faith in the future and we recognize that that future is shared, the notion that I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper. My life is richer and stronger when everybody in the country has some measure of security, everybody has got a fair shot at the American Dream. That is our vision for America. It is not a vision of a small America. It is a vision of a big America, a compassionate America, and a bold and optimistic America. And it is a vision where we are living within our means, but we are still investing in our future. And everybody is making sacrifices, but nobody bears all the burden. An America where we live up to the idea that no matter who we are, no matter what we look like, we are connected to one another. That is what led many of us to fight so hard, to knock on so many doors and maybe harangue some of our friends, this belief that it was up to each of us to perfect this Union. We are all created equal--all created equal. Ever since I entered into public life, ever since I have a memory about what my mother taught me and my grandparents taught me, I believed that discriminating against people was wrong. I had no choice; I was born that way----in Hawaii. And I believed that discrimination because of somebody's sexual orientation or gender identity ran counter to who we are as a people, and it is a violation of the basic tenets on which this Nation was founded. I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country. And that is --now, there was such a good recitation earlier by Neil that I feel bad repeating it, but let me just--it bears repeating.


This is why we are making sure that hospitals extended visitation rights to gay couples, because nobody should be barred from their bedside because their partner--the bedside of their partner in a moment of pain or a moment of need. Nobody should have to produce a legal contract to hold the hand of the person that they love. It is why we launched the first comprehensive national ENTITY/ENTITY strategy, providing a roadmap not only to providing treatment and reducing infections, but also embracing the potential of new, groundbreaking research that will help us bring an end to this pandemic. That is why I ordered Federal agencies to extend the same benefits to gay couples that go to straight couples wherever possible. That is why we are going to keep on fighting until the law no longer treats committed partners who have been together for decades like they are strangers. That is why I have long believed that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act ought to be repealed. And since I taught constitutional law for a while, I felt like I was in a pretty good position to agree with courts that have ruled that section 3 of DOMA violates the Constitution. And that is why we decided, with my Attorney General, that we could no longer defend the constitutionality of DOMA in the courts. Now, part of the reason that DOMA does not make sense is that, traditionally, marriage has been decided by the States. And right now I understand there is a little debate going on here in New York----about whether to join five other States and DC in allowing civil marriage for gay couples. And I want to say that under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, with the support of Democrats and Republicans, New York is doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do. There is a debate; there is deliberation about what it means here in New York to treat people fairly in the eyes of the law. And that is--look, that is the power of our democratic system. But in grappling with tough and, at times, emotional issues in legislatures and in courts and at the ballot box, and yes, around the dinner table and in the office hallways, and sometimes even in the Oval Office, slowly but surely we find the way forward. That is how we will achieve change that is lasting, change that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible. Now, let me just say this. There were those who doubted that we'd be able to pass a hate crimes law.


Occasionally, I got hollered at about that. After a decades-long fight, we got it done, bringing us closer to the day when nobody is going to be afraid to walk down the street because they are gay or transgender. And I remember having events where folks hollered out at events. But we passed the repeal. We are now moving forward with implementing it. So we are no longer going to demand brave and patriotic Americans live a lie to serve their country. Folks like Captain Jonathan Hopkins, who led a platoon into northern Iraq during the initial invasion and quelled an ethnic riot and earned a Bronze Star with valor. He was discharged, only to receive e-mails and letters from his soldiers saying, if they had known he was gay all along--that they had known he was gay all along and they still thought he was the best commander they had ever had. That is how progress is being won here in New York, around the country. Day by day, it is won by ordinary people who are striving and fighting and protesting for change and who, yes, are keeping the pressure up, including pressure on me. raising their families, doing their jobs, joining the PTA, singing in church, serving and sacrificing for this country overseas, even as they are not always granted the full rights of citizenship they deserve here at home. Last year, I received a letter from a teenager growing up in a small town, and he told me he was a senior in high school, and that he was proud to be the captain of a club at his school, and that he was gay. And he had not told his parents. He did not think it was safe to, in his words, openly be myself. But this 17-year-old also looked towards the day when he did not have to be afraid, when he did not have to worry about walking down the hallway. Everyone else is considered equal in this country. So yes, we have more work to do. Yes, we have more progress to make. Yes, I expect continued impatience with me on occasion. But understand this--look, I think of teenagers like the one who wrote me, and they remind me that there should be impatience when it comes to the fight for basic equality. We have made enormous advances just in these last 2 1/2 years.


But there are still young people out there looking for us to do more, to help build a world in which they never have to feel afraid or alone to be themselves. And we know how important that is to not only tell them that it is going to get better, but to also do everything in our power to ensure that things actually are better. I am confident that we will achieve the equality that this young person deserves. I am confident that the future is bright for that teenager and others like him and that he can have the life that he wants and that he imagines. But I know that he will look back on his struggles and the struggles of many in this room, as part of what made change possible, part of what it took to reach the day when every single American, gay or straight or lesbian or bisexual or transgender, was free to live and love as they see fit. And we can look at the progress we have made in the last 2 years, to the changes that were led not by Washington, but by folks standing up for themselves or for their sons or for their daughters, fighting for what is right. Whether it is the students working their way through college or the workers heading to factories to build American cars again or the energy entrepreneurs testing bold ideas, the construction crews laying down roads, the small-business owners and scientists and inventors and builders and all those Americans who faced hardship and setbacks, but who never stopped believing in this country, its capacity to change, who are helping each and every day to rebuild this Nation so that we emerge from this period of struggle stronger and more unified than ever before. And that is the story of progress in America--that is what all of you represent--of the stubborn refusal to accept anything less than the best that this country can be. And with your help, if you keep up the fight, and if you will devote your time and your energies to this campaign one more time, I promise you, we will write another chapter in that story. And we are going to leave a new generation with a brighter future and a more hopeful future. And I will be standing there, right there with you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.


I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate Mary Peters to be the next Secretary of Transportation. Our Nation's transportation infrastructure is vital to our prosperity and competitiveness; it is critical to the everyday lives of our citizens. The Secretary of Transportation is responsible for maintaining a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system. In addition, the Secretary of Transportation plays an important role in our Nation's coordinated efforts to guard against terrorist threats to our aircraft, our seaports, and our infrastructure. It is the job that requires vision and strong leadership. Mary Peters is the right person for this job. She brings a lifetime of experience on transportation issues, from both the private and public sectors. She now serves as a senior executive for transportation policy at a major engineering firm. Before that, Mary served in my administration as the head of the Federal Highway Administration. As Administrator, Mary led efforts to improve safety and security, reduce traffic congestion, and modernize America's roads and bridges. And before coming to Washington, Mary served in the Arizona Department of Transportation for more than 15 years, rising through the ranks to become the director in 1998. Mary has a reputation for character and common sense. She knows how to set priorities and to solve problems. And as a member of my Cabinet, Mary will work closely with State and local leaders to ensure that America has a state-of-the-art transportation system that meets the needs of our growing economy. When confirmed by the Senate, Mary will succeed one of our Nation's finest Secretaries of Transportation in Norm Mineta. When I came to Washington, I asked Norm to continue his service by joining my Cabinet. And he shows that when we put politics aside, people from different political parties can work together to achieve results for the American people. He was the Secretary of Transportation on September the 11th, 2001, and he led the unprecedented effort to bring tens of thousands of passengers aboard commercial aircraft to safe landings. And since then, he is worked to strengthen the security at America's airports and seaports. He is played a critical role in keeping America safe from terrorist attacks. Norm also worked hard to modernize the aviation market. And after Hurricane Katrina, Norm and his team swung into action to repair and reopen major highways and seaports and airports and pipelines along America's gulf coast. Norm Mineta has served America with integrity and dedication and distinction. He leaves office as the longest serving Secretary of Transportation in our Nation's history.

Remarks on the Nomination of Mary E. Peters To Be Secretary of Transportation


I return to the New England from which came most of my ancestors. I come from visiting many other States. Hardly one among them has not received men and treasure, brawn and brains, from New England's inexhaustible reserves. The average American as I have met him on these voyages is no longer indifferent to the problems of Government. And it is my opinion that there is more downright political intelligence than ever before in our entire history. In a world which in many places has gone undemocratic, we have gone more democratic. It is a bad sign for those who believe that the American people can be swept off their feet by rabble-rousers this year. The American mind today is above the rabble level. Two weeks from today, the day after election, the American air will be cleaner and American democracy will be safer. I want to speak to you briefly and simply about the prosperity of all the Nation, for in that prosperity all New England has an immediate and a direct interest. The golden State House dome symbolizes in itself the preservation of the political unity of the Nation. But New England is heir to the lasting fruits of another great New England tradition-the tradition of being a part in the economic development of the entire Union, and of sharing in all of its prosperity. In the most immediate sense, the problems of the great population of the West and South are your problems too. The sale of New England's shoes depends in part on the price of Kansas' wheat and Georgia's cotton. Prosperity for the California fruit grower depends in part on the prosperity of the New England textile mill. New England savings have prospered in developing Western mines and railroads and stockyards and farms. I have thought much of this interdependence as I have traveled through the great Western country. And I am confident that level-headed New England knows how true that is, knows it in spite of a cantankerous minority that in every difficult time has found spokesmen to try to persuade New England that its interest is not the interest of the rest of the Union. They tell New England today as they have told it before that it has been ruined by Government policies designed to benefit only the rest of the Union. We all know that New England has had its troubles. We all know that New England is coming out of its troubles. Payrolls for the first half of 1936 are up 32 percent over the first half of 1933.

Address at Boston, Mass.


Farm income, excluding benefit payments, is up 37 1/2 percent. Building construction in sixty-two Massachusetts cities is up 100 percent. Does that look to you like the end of private enterprise? For many years under Republican Administrations, New England was handicapped. Every realistic business man of New England knows. That New England had established standards of wages and of living which put some of its industries at a competitive disadvantage with sections of the country which had not reached those standards. That those lower standards were exploited by an absentee landlordism which exported from New England too much of its capital-capital that was used elsewhere to compete with industries at home. Concentrated wealth and economic power gobbled up or wiped out or moved away hundreds of small independent New England businesses-the kinds of businesses with which at one time New England had conquered the markets of the world. What did Republican leadership do to meet those difficulties? A high protective tariff alone could not help New England meet the unfair competition from domestic competitors on the one hand, and the unfair competition of monopoly on the other. To make matters worse, that tariff shut off the foreign commerce on which the sea coast population and industrial population of New England had lived. The full fruit of these Republican policies of twelve years is found in the record of what happened to New England's industries under those policies. New England was engulfed by the depression five years before the rest of the country. That is New England's debt to the Republican leadership of the boom era. What has this Administration done? We have raised wages and living standards in other sections of the country. They are being brought up toward the standards of New England. That kind of unfair competition is being destroyed. Most of us are in favor of that. We have begun the first real offensive in our history against that concentrated wealth and monopolistic power which almost destroyed the small businesses and diversified industries of New England. Most of us are in favor of that. By reciprocal trade agreements, we have begun to reopen foreign markets for New England products and New England shipping and trade. Most of us are in favor of that. We have increased the purchasing power of New England's customers out on the farms and in the cities of the Nation. And most of us are in favor of that. New England has traditionally been a land of moderate-sized independent business, a land of economic democracy. Its farseeing statesmen have always understood that democracy was impossible under the relentless pressure of concentration and monopoly wielded by the new power of high finance.

Address at Boston, Mass.


In my State of the Union Address, I talked about the idea of opportunity for all. that no matter who you are or how you started out, with hard work and responsibility, you can get ahead. I am even more passionate about it today. Because while our economy has been growing for 4 years and those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged. We have got to reverse those trends. We have got to build an economy that works for everyone, not just a fortunate few. And the opportunity agenda I laid out last week will help us do that. It is an agenda with four parts. And number four, making sure that hard work pays off, with wages you can live on, savings you can retire on, and health insurance that is there when you need it. I want to work with Congress on this agenda wherever I can. But in this year of action, whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, I will. a pen to take executive action and a phone to rally citizens and business leaders who are eager to create new jobs and new opportunities. In Wisconsin, I ordered an across-the-board reform of our training programs to train folks with the skills employers need and then match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. In Pittsburgh, I directed the Treasury to create MyRA, a new way for working Americans even if you are not wealthy to start your own retirement savings. In Maryland, I rallied the leaders of some of America's biggest tech companies to help us make sure all our kids have access to high-speed Internet and up-to-date technology to help them learn the skills they need for the new economy. And at the White House, I brought together business leaders who have committed to helping more unemployed Americans find work, no matter how long they have been looking. based on whether applicants can do the job, not when they last had a job. So when you hear me talking about using my pen and my phone to make a difference for middle class Americans and those working to get into the middle class, that is what I mean. And I am going to keep asking students and parents and business leaders to help, because there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, ready to move this country forward, and determined to restore the founding vision of opportunity for all. That is what I am all about.

The President's Weekly Address


My fellow club members thank you all for-- I appreciate you all coming out to greet my friend and a friend of America, the President of Poland, a fine leader and a fine gentleman. I want to thank Stan and Sylvia. I want to thank all the folks who put on the dinner or-we call it dinner in Texas-lunch here in Michigan. And I want to thank my fellow Americans for coming out to say hello. We had a wonderful dinner last night in Washington. We all wore our black ties. I rented mine right around the corner. And as much as I loved it last night, I was really looking forward to coming with the President here to Michigan, because there is a lot of great-there is a lot of great Americans who happen to be from Polish descent living here, and I thought it was a perfect place for him to come. I want to thank Cardinal Maida for coming. He was-he came to dinner last night with us, and he jumped on Air Force One. We found plenty of room for him. But he is such a-such a dignified human being, and I am proud to call him friend. I want to thank the Englers, our friends the Englers, the great Governor and the first lady of the State of Michigan. They have been our friends for a long time. Candice Miller, the secretary of state, I appreciate you being here. We have got our Ambassador from Poland with us, Christopher Hill. He is doing a fine job. We have got a great delegation from the Polish Government with us, scattered throughout, I guess. I want to just tell you right quickly that America has got a strong, strong friend in Poland. The Polish Government and the Polish people are-they understand what we went through. They understand- they have had a history of people wanting to take away their freedoms too. See, we share that common bond. And they also understand that we owe it to our children and we owe it to future generations beyond our children to hold people to account, to hold the killers to account, to bring the killers to justice in order to defend our freedoms. And that is what we are going to do. Some predicted that the farther we got away from September the 11th, the more the American people would grow weary or kind of forget what happened. Anybody attacks us and attacks our freedom, we do not forget that.

Remarks at a Luncheon With Polish American Leaders in Troy, Michigan


My heavens, 27 different States, I am told, represented here by all of you. Josh, I cannot begin to thank you, not only for your friendship and loyal support but your service to the Government, to the people, I would put it that way, and also for your outstanding commitment to small business and your own accomplishments in that field. I also want to acknowledge Josh's wife, Jackie Jones-Smith, who is the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; my old friend Milton Bins here, chairman of the Council of 100. Kay James from the Office of National Drug Control Policy gave up an awful lot to move over there to fight this drug scourge, and I am very proud of her. Reverend Thad Garrett, we all know Thad. He ought to be praying more and talking less out there on the campaign -- -- I need that, I will tell you. But somebody once gave me a little rug, and it said, What would we do without friends? I want to salute Fred Brown, the chairman of the National Council of Black Republicans. I was very grateful to Reverend Larry Haygood for that invocation, for his leadership in education, for his commitment and faith. Of course, I cannot say too much about Lou Sullivan. I love it when we talk about genuine health care reform for this country. He summarized it in his remarks there, giving me the credit. But he is out there on the cutting edge. When a paper like the New York Times, which has not been overly friendly to me this year -- -- points out that we have got a sound, or the best of the health care reform programs out there, why, I am very grateful to Lou. He is tireless in taking the message across the country, and he is leading this, the largest Government bureau, with such distinction and honor. I tell you, we are lucky to have him in the Government. Maybe she wants him back; I do not know. May I salute Gary Franks, distinguished Member of Congress. I do not see him, but I know he is here. He is to be here; Andy Ireland, a Member of the United States Congress, with us here today, too. I want to single out a warrior. Some of you know her just by seeing her on television. Some of you know her for seeing her at my side as I climb on the helicopter or Air Force One or go to take on some political debate.

Remarks at the National Salute to the President and His Black Appointees


And I am talking about Marlin's able deputy, Judy Smith, who is standing right over here. Judy, I do not want this to come out wrong, but you talk about tough women. I mean, she is strong, and in a wonderful way. She takes it and can dish it out just as well. It is tough out there in that press arena. But boy, she is doing a superb job for me and I think for the country because she gets out our position on fundamental issues that are important to the Nation. Let me just talk for a few minutes. I am off to Wisconsin in a few minutes and then to New Jersey. So I want to just talk a little bit about the concerns that we share about the future of this great country, about the choice that we have in shaping that future. I will spare you a stemwinding political oration, but I will just point out that we have got a great task before us, and the differences are clear. With the end of the cold war that Reverend Haygood very generously referred to, now we have got to turn our attention to winning the new global economic competition. The other side is telling us everything that is wrong about the economy, and I will accept my share of the blame. But we are caught up in something worldwide. And any fair-minded observer knows that it is not just the United States that is had difficult economic times. A lot of countries in this, and we have the strongest economy of all of them. I call that winning the peace, for only then will we keep the promise of opportunity that is the birthright of every American. I am proud of the fact that our kids go to bed at night without that same fear of nuclear weapons that their predecessors had. This is, I think, a significant accomplishment, and I salute everyone in our administration that worked to help end that nuclear nightmare. But now we have got to do the same thing, apply that same leadership, and lift this country up. You know, the Governor, Governor Clinton, and I offer very different choices. They are really based on very different philosophies, different experience. He is spent most of his life in government. He believes that government, kind of a Washington elite, should take the lead in shaping the economy. investing your money, that is taxpayers' money, more wisely than you can as entrepreneurs and individuals. Well, that is not the way I see it at all.


Like so many of you, I have spent exactly 50 percent of my adult life in business and 50 percent in government. Not with the sparkling success that some in this room have had as business people, but nevertheless, I understand it. I built a business from the ground up. I met a payroll, created jobs, and worked for a living. I happen to think that that is a good qualification for being ENTITY of the United States, because I believe it is a prospering small business or large business environment that is going to do more to help people. Put it this way, a job in the private sector is going to do more to help people than Government programs can. what makes an economy grow. It is not the people who take your taxes and spend them. It is you who make the economy grow, ordinary men and women with the extraordinary dreams who have the grit to make those dreams real. And I am very grateful to what Josh does in taking this message of small business out around this country. That understanding is really at the heart of what Larry Haygood again referred to as the Agenda for American Renewal. I talk about the global economy and then what we are going to do now to be the lead. We have the strongest economy; I want to help make it stronger. To do this, we have got to unleash the energy, the brainpower of our workers and our entrepreneurs, and again, particularly in small business because this is the area that employs the most and takes the risks and creates the new opportunities. I want to encourage investment so that wages rise and those unemployment lines shrink. That is why I am helping small business in particular and, hopefully, all business in general. We unveiled a good small business program the other day down in North Carolina. Reducing the corporate tax rate for small business 15 percent to 10 percent; increasing the amount of equipment that small business can expense, and thus that would create more jobs and new opportunities; simplifying the tax filing. Most small-business people know that the onerous reporting for tax purposes takes too many work hours, too many people hours, and we are trying to change that Then, of course, I still feel that to stimulate risk-taking, the reduction in the capital gains is very, very important, bringing people into the enterprise zones in the minority areas; a reduction in capital gains, a break on that will help attract jobs to the areas that need it the very most.


So to the business people here, we are trying to streamline so you will not have to be second-guessed back here in Washington by some bureaucratic establishment. And that is why we have put an end to the Federal regulations that turn redtape into pink slips. We just put out a moratorium on them. We are going to go forward with safety and health; obviously we have to do that. But we have got a moratorium, a blanket on new regulations, recognizing that there is too much control and regulation on the back of the small entrepreneur and the small-business person. We really do want to do what Lou was talking about, and that is to make health insurance available to everyone. We want to make health care more accessible and more affordable for everyone. That is why we are all -- have our shoulders to the wheel, fighting for health care reform without burdening small businesses with expensive new mandates and more payroll taxes. It keeps the quality of American health care where it belongs, number one in the entire world, and still says to those who cannot get insurance, we are going to make it available to you through pooling, and also we are going to reduce the costs. We are doing something about these crazy malpractice suits and also doing something about lifting the regulatory burden and streamlining the operating processes of our health care system. So we have got a good program there, and I hope that it'll get the kind of support in the very next Congress that we need to have it enacted into law. I want to reward the risktakers who bring capital and jobs to our inner cities; I touched on that. But it is very interesting to me that when we went to Los Angeles in the wake of the South Central problems, all the civic leaders there were saying we must have enterprise zones. We ought to try it at the Federal level. So we are fighting hard to bring the enterprise zones into reality. On issue after issue, you see the very sharp differences between my opponent and me, because he really does want a Government. He is already proposed more taxes, more spending, more regulations. He is already proposed programs that would result in the latter, in the last item, and tax plans and spending plans that would tax at the outset $150 billion more in taxes and $220 billion more in spending. It is going to kill off a lot of small business. So we want to free up, instead, the genius of American enterprise and initiative.


This is going to be one of the clearest distinctions as people begin to really make up their minds on this election. Government must never shirk its responsibilities. The fine men and women honored here today who I have been proud to have at my side for the past 3 years are a testament to the good work that Government can do. We believe it is Government's role to create opportunity, though, and not stifle it, and to clear the path for individual accomplishment, not to block it; to facilitate, not to dictate. Together, we believe that there is no room in our country, and I want to repeat this here, for discrimination of any kind whatsoever. As long as I am ENTITY, I am going to do absolutely everything I can in my power to drive bigotry and anti-Semitism and racism from our great land. You know, I hope you know that I have strong feelings about this. I am not sure the American people know how strongly I feel about this. That is one of the reasons I hope we get these debates on. We have proposed four debates with the Governor. We have accepted his formula for two of them, and so, we will have an opportunity there without any filters, without any Monday morning quarterbacks telling you what you thought you heard, to take the case directly to the American people. I have tried in my public life -- like supporting fair housing when I was a Member of Congress from Texas and fighting for I think decent civil rights legislation, whether it is the ADA bill or an antidiscriminatory civil rights bill. I think we got, and others here have mentioned this very generously, an excellent record of appointing officials on the content of their character and their competence to positions of high authority in the Government. I am proud of what both Josh and Lou talked about, to have appointed a higher percentage of blacks and women in the history of the Presidency to important positions. Gwen King at the Social Security Commission, who is now going on to new pursuits. I mentioned Kay James, who served with such distinction in several capacities. I think it is a wonderful thing that Colin Powell is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I do not know anything about his politics, and I could not care less. I know something about his character, though. I know something about his ability, though.