REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENTON VETERANS DAY
Memorial Amphitheater
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Please, be seated.

Thank you, Secretary Shinseki, for the generous introduction — more importantly, the extraordinary bravery in service to our country, both on and off the battlefield.  I want to thank our outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden, and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jill Biden, for being here today.  We want to thank the Bidens for their son, Beau’s, service as well; we’re glad he just got back from Iraq.

We want to say a special word of thanks to Brigadier General Karl Horst, who’s the Commander of the Military District of Washington, for being here, and for your lifetime of distinguished service to our nation.  To Gene Crayton, president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, thank you for being here.  And to all the veterans’ service organizations for the extraordinary work, day in, day out on behalf of our nation’s heroes.

To the members of our armed forces and the veterans who are here today:  I am deeply honored and humbled to spend Veterans Day with you in this sacred place where generations of heroes have come to rest — and generations of Americans have come to show their gratitude.

There are many honors and responsibilities that come with this job.  But none is more profound than serving as Commander-in-Chief.  Yesterday, I visited the troops at Fort Hood.  We gathered in remembrance of those we recently lost.  We paid tribute to the lives they led.  And there was something that I saw in them; something that I see in the eyes of every soldier and sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman that I have had the privilege to meet in this country and around the world — and that thing is determination.

In this time of war, we gather here mindful that the generation serving today already deserves a place alongside previous generations for the courage they have shown and the sacrifices that they have made.  In an era where so many acted only in pursuit of narrow self-interest, they’ve chosen the opposite.  They chose to serve the cause that is greater than self; many even after they knew they’d be sent into harm’s way.  And for the better part of a decade, they have endured tour after tour in distant and difficult places; they have protected us from danger; and they have given others the opportunity for a better life.

So to all of them — to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families — there is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice.

This is a place where it is impossible not to be moved by that sacrifice.  But even as we gather here this morning, people are gathering all across America, not only to express thanks of a grateful nation, but to tell stories that demand to be told.  They’re stories of wars whose names have come to define eras; battles that echo throughout history.  They’re stories of patriots who sacrificed in pursuit of a more perfect union:  of a grandfather who marched across Europe; of a friend who fought in Vietnam; of a sister who served in Iraq.  They’re the stories of generations of Americans who left home barely more than boys and girls, became men and women, and returned home heroes.

And when these Americans who had dedicated their lives to defending this country came home, many settled on a life of service, choosing to make their entire lives a tour of duty.  Many chose to live a quiet life, trading one uniform and set of responsibilities for another — doctor, engineer, teacher, mom, dad.  They bought homes, raised families, built businesses.  They built the greatest middle class that the world has ever known.  Some put away their medals, stayed humble about their service, and moved on.  Some, carrying shrapnel and scars, found that they couldn’t.

We call this a holiday.  But for many veterans, it’s another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can.  For our troops, it is another day in harm’s way.  For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one, and the concern for their safety.  For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow and arduous recovery.  And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh.  So while it is important and proper that we mark this day, it is far more important we spend all our days determined to keep the promises that we’ve made to all who answer this country’s call.

Carved into the marble behind me are the words of our first Commander-in-Chief:  “When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.”  Just as the contributions that our servicemen and women make to this nation don’t end when they take off their uniform, neither do our obligations to them.  And when we fulfill those obligations, we aren’t just keeping faith with our veterans; we are keeping faith with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which this republic was founded.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that there have been times where we as a nation have betrayed that sacred trust.  Our Vietnam veterans served with great honor.  They often came home greeted not with gratitude or support, but with condemnation and neglect.  That’s something that will never happen again.  To them and to all who have served, in every battle, in every war, we say that it’s never too late to say thank you.  We honor your service.  We are forever grateful.  And just as you have not forgotten your missing comrades, neither, ever, will we.  Our servicemen and women have been doing right by America for generations.  And as long as I am Commander-in-Chief, America’s going to do right by them.

That is my message to all veterans today.  That is my message to all who serve in harm’s way.  To the husbands and wives back home doing the parenting of two.  To the parents who watch their sons and daughters go off to war, and the children who wonder when mom and dad is coming home.  To all our wounded warriors, and to the families who laid a loved one to rest.  America will not let you down.  We will take care of our own.

And to those who are serving in far-flung places today, when your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you just as you’ve been there for us.  That is my promise — our nation’s promise — to you.

Ninety-one years ago today, the battlefields of Europe fell quiet as World War I came to a close.  But we don’t mark this day each year as a celebration of victory, as proud of that victory as we are.  We mark this day as a celebration of those who made victory possible.  It’s a day we keep in our minds the brave men and women of this young nation — generations of them — who above all else believed in and fought for a set of ideals.  Because they did, our country still stands; our founding principles still shine; nations around the world that once knew nothing but fear now know the blessings of freedom.

That is why we fight — in hopes of a day when we no longer need to.  And that is why we gather at these solemn remembrances and reminders of war — to recommit ourselves to the hard work of peace.

There will be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women step out of uniform.  They will build families and lives of their own.  God willing, they will grow old.  And someday, their children, and their children’s children, will gather here to honor them.

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

WASHINGTON — While some were moved to tears by the president’s soaring rhetoric, others were moved not at all. Where some saw a new clarity, others saw more vagueness. And while some praised him for reaching out to Republicans, there were those who felt he was overreaching in some ways and not reaching far enough in others.

Americans listened intently to President Barack Obama’s much-anticipated speech on health care reform Wednesday night, and not surprisingly, their reviews varied. Few said they had changed their minds.

Matt Petrovick set his treadmill at a leisurely 2.8 mph pace so he could pay full attention to the television on the wall in front of him. He’s not sure the president’s words boosted his heart rate, but the speech certainly got him going.

“There were definitely certain times where I got tingles down my arms and just felt like we might actually accomplish something with this generation and this presidency that’s never been done before, and hopefully will be for the better and won’t blow up in our faces,” the 24-year-old insurance agent said as he worked out at a Planet Fitness gym in Raleigh, N.C. “Only time will tell.”

At the Winter Park Towers, a residential assisted living community in the Orlando, Fla., suburb of that name, 25 senior citizens skipped the facility’s Wednesday night movie – “The Soloist” – to watch Obama’s speech on a large, flat-screen TV in a multipurpose room that resembled a small auditorium.

There was applause at several points during the speech, and several people dabbed at moist eyes when Obama mentioned the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died last month of brain cancer.

“I thought the speech had strengths, and some very severe soft spots,” said Don Meckstroth, an 89-year-old retired executive.

“The strengths are that, I believe Mr. Obama spoke tonight as an elected president rather than a person campaigning for the presidency. He had some specific proposals, and I thought the highlight of his speech was when he said, ‘I intend to be the last president that will be attempting to reform health care that fails.”‘

The weaknesses? “It’s a terribly complex structure that he proposed. … the assumptions were less than convincing, at least they were to me on the lower costs we were going to achieve, and how we were going to achieve them, how we are going to pay for it without any additional expense. `Not one dime more?”‘

Meckstroth rolled his eyes when his wife Wanda said cost “is something that can always be worked out.” But she insisted that the “most important thing here was security. He really made me feel this thing was going to be workable.”

Across the country at San Francisco’s Women’s Community Clinic, doctors, nurses and volunteers crowded together with cookies and popcorn to watch Obama’s speech streaming live through an office computer. Many of the clinic’s clients hold part-time jobs that don’t offer insurance, and the staff are increasingly seeing the recently unemployed.

The president’s call for a health care system that wouldn’t leave patients without lifesaving care was met with calls of “amen.” And when Obama mentioned a provision that would bar insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, the women clapped and cheered.

“That’s everyone in that room – every single person in that room,” said Tara Medve, 31, the clinic’s development director. Katie McCall, 35, who volunteers as a policy director at the clinic, said the speech was reassuring and should inspire confidence in doubters.

“If he says this isn’t going to increase the deficit, I believe him,” she said. “If he says we’re not going to cover people who are undocumented, I believe him.”

But some skeptics remained skeptics.

Earlier in the day, Mark Hutchinson drove from his home in Mays Landing, N.J., to participate in a rally near Philadelphia’s Independence Hall against the health care bill. A member of the group Liberty and Prosperity, which takes its name from the New Jersey state motto, Hutchinson carried a sign that said, “A Trillion Times No.”

He said Obama’s speech did nothing to convince him that the so-called “public option” – a government-run health program that would compete with private insurers – would be truly voluntary.

“I thought there was a lot of inaccuracies in there and falsehoods,” he said. “If we’re taxpayers, we’re paying for it. Can I opt out of paying for it?”

In the Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth, Steve McCulloch, owner of Linsk Flowers, took notes as he watched the speech. McCulloch provides high-deductible health insurance and health care savings accounts to his nine employees, and he was happy to hear the president talk more specifically about the plan he wants.

He just wishes Obama had backed down on the notion of a public option.

“If he’s going to get something done, you don’t make those kinds of statements,” he said. Michael Berglund, a 41-year-old high school English teacher, watched the speech at his Tulsa, Okla., home. Berglund said his domestic partner, Kevin, a 43-year-old hair stylist, has to buy his own health insurance, which comes with high costs and deductibles.

“There are times he has not gone to the doctor because he knows he’ll need an X-ray or an MRI,” Berglund said. Berglund said before Obama’s speech he was “skeptical” of health care reform, but “It seemed a lot clearer to me now.”

Not so for Phillip Friesen, a 23-year-old medical student from Enid, Okla. While he was pleased that Obama hit on a few specifics like preventive medicine and how the massive overhaul would be paid for, he still would like more information on how the new system would affect physicians in their practices and how Medicare would be handled.

“I’m a Type-A medical student at heart,” he said. “I still need to see the details of it.”

Back at the gym in Raleigh, patrons working out before the row of 15 big-screen televisions could have watched U.S. Open tennis, MTV’s “Pranked,” the game pitting the Tampa Bay Rays against the New York Yankees, or “So You Think You Can Dance?” But many chose to tune the headphones to Obama.

From what he heard of Obama’s plan, Petrovick said the insurance industry for which he works is likely to lose a “lot of business” in coming years. Still, he couldn’t help wishing the president well.

“Everything that comes out of his mouth sounds like gold,” he said. “He always has done a very good job at getting his points across. Whether they’re right or wrong, he makes you feel good about it usually.”

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.

That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

President Obama joins labor leaders today to welcome the new head of the AFL-CIO, and name a new advisor for manufacturing.

This Labor Day, the nation’s jobless rate is 9.7 percent, and Republicans argue the health reform plan Mr. Obama outlines Wednesday, requiring everyone to buy insurance, could cost millions more jobs:

“It’s complicated, it’s convoluted and it’s quite simply not going to work. It’s time to press the ‘reset’ button,” said Minnesota Rep. John Kline.

On Meet The Press, a top White House Advisor was asked if Mr. Obama will compromise on the controversial ‘public option’ – government insurance.

“He believes the public option is a, is a good tool. Now, it shouldn’t define the whole healthcare debate, however said,” said  White House Senior Advisor  David Axelrod.

But before that, the President’s set to address the nation’s schoolchildren Tuesday… A speech that rattled some parents who say they’ll keep their kids home, fearing the 18-minute speech will be partisan.

The Secretary Of Education says the President will simply encourage students to stay in school.

“The real question I have is why has it been 18 years since a president has addressed our nation’s youth?” said Arne Duncan, Education Secretary.

More controversy…White House Advisor Van Jones quit in the middle of the night Saturday after being linked to comments questioning whether the government played a role in 9-11.

“Van Jones, as he says in his statement, understood that he was going to get in the way of the president and ultimately this country,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Jones says he’s the victim of a ‘vicious smear campaign.’ he advised the president on green jobs.

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Town Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina
July 29, 2009

It is wonderful to be back in Raleigh and back in North Carolina, a community and a state that has been so good to me. And I don’t kid myself. I know why.  It’s because I always travel with one of your home-town boys, my right-hand man, Reggie Love.

It’s not only great to be in Raleigh, it’s also nice to get out of Washington every once in a while.   With all the noise and fussing and fighting that goes on there, it’s pretty easy for the voices of everyday people to get lost, and for folks to forget why they’re there.

So when I took office in January, I asked to see ten letters from people across the country every day.  And most of the letters these days are all about one thing: the economy.  So before I take your questions, I want to spend a few minutes talking about where we are and where we need to go.

I don’t know whether you’ve seen the cover of the latest Newsweek magazine on the rack at the grocery store, but the cover says, “The Recession is Over.”

I bet you found that news a little startling.  I know I did. Now, it’s true that we’ve stopped the freefall.  The market is up and the financial system is no longer on the verge of collapse. We’re losing jobs at nearly half the rate we were when I took office six months ago.

So, we may be seeing the beginning of the end of the recession. But that’s little comfort if you’re one of the folks who have lost their job, and haven’t found another.  Unemployment in North Carolina is over ten percent today.  A lot of small businesses like Sara’s are still struggling with falling revenues and rising costs.  Health care premiums, for example, are rising twice as fast as wages, and much more for small businesses – something I’ll address in a minute.

So, we know the tough times aren’t over. But we also know that without the steps we have already taken, our troubled economy – and the pain it’s inflicting on North Carolina families – would be much worse.

Let’s look at the facts.  When my administration came into office, we were facing the worst economy of our lifetimes.  We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month.  It was nearly impossible to take out home loans, auto loans, student loans, and loans for small businesses to buy inventory and make payroll. And economists across the ideological spectrum feared a second-coming of the Great Depression.

At the time, there were some who thought doing nothing was somehow an option. But we knew that what was required was action. We knew that ending our immediate economic crisis would require ending the housing crisis where it began. That is why we took unprecedented action to stem the spread of foreclosures by helping responsible homeowners stay in their homes and pay their mortgages.

Ending this immediate crisis also required taking steps to avert the collapse of our financial system, which, as the Fed Chairman said the other day, was a real possibility. I know it didn’t seem fair to many Americans to use tax dollars to stabilize banks that took reckless risks. It didn’t seem fair to me, either.  And even though the bank bailout began under the previous administration, it still was necessary.  Because by unlocking frozen credit markets and opening up loans for families and businesses, we helped stop a recession from becoming a depression.  And taxpayers are already being paid back – with interest.

We also took steps to help a struggling auto industry emerge from a crisis largely of its own making. There was a strong argument to let General Motors and Chrysler go under, and I know many of you probably shared that view. If you made a series of bad decisions that undermined your company’s viability, your company wouldn’t be in business, and many folks didn’t see why these companies should be treated any differently.

But in the midst of a recession, their collapse would have wreaked havoc across our economy. So I said, if GM and Chrysler were willing to do what was necessary to make themselves competitive; and if taxpayers were repaid every dime they put on the line – it was a process worth supporting.  We saved hundreds of thousands of jobs as a result – and expect to get our money back.

Even as we worked to address the crisis in our banking sector, our housing market, and our auto industry, we also began attacking our economic crisis on a broader front. Less than one month after taking office, we enacted the most sweeping economic recovery package in history – and we did so without any of the earmarks that waste tax dollars on pet projects.

Now, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about the Recovery Act, so here are the facts.  To date, roughly a quarter of the Recovery Act’s funding has been committed, over 30,000 projects have been approved, and thousands have been posted online, as part of an effort to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability when it comes to our economic recovery.

The Recovery Act is divided into three parts.  One-third of the money is for tax relief that is going to families and small businesses.  For Americans struggling to pay rising bills with shrinking wages, we have kept a campaign promise to put a middle class tax cut in the pockets of 95 percent of working families – a tax cut that began showing up in paychecks about three months ago. And we also cut taxes for small businesses on the investments they make.

Another third of the money in the Recovery Act is for emergency relief that is helping folks who have borne the brunt of this recession.  For Americans who were laid off, we expanded unemployment benefits – a measure that has already made a difference for 12 million Americans, including over 300,000 folks in North Carolina.  We are making health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families relying on COBRA while looking for work. And for states facing historic budget shortfalls, we provided assistance that has saved the jobs of tens of thousands of teachers and police officers.

The last third of the Recovery Act is for short-term and long-term investments that are putting people back to work and building a stronger economy for the future.  And we are already seeing the results of these investments here in Raleigh and across North Carolina. The Beltline is being resurfaced between Wake Forest Road and Wade Avenue. The Raleigh Durham Airport is renovating its runways. The City of Raleigh’s transit system is building a new operations and maintenance facility. Over 500 young people are going to work as part of a summer youth work initiative. And water treatment plants are being renovated throughout the Triangle.

These are the kinds of projects being launched across this country to rebuild crumbling roads and highways, bridges and waterways with the largest new investment in our national infrastructure since Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s.

Now, I know that some critics in Washington think we’ve been slow to get these projects started. They are saying we should have broken ground on all our highway projects on the first day. But everyone knows that’s impossible, especially because I wanted to be sure we did our homework and invested tax dollars only in those projects that actually created new jobs and jumpstarted our economy.  That took time. And we have already eliminated wasteful projects that haven’t met this test – because every taxpayer should have an assurance that we are investing their hard-earned tax dollars responsibly.

So it will take time to achieve a complete recovery, and we will not rest until anyone who’s looking for work can find a job. But there is little debate that these steps, taken together, have helped stop our economic freefall.

That’s the story of the first six months.  It has cost some money to do all this, although when I hear critics talk about out-of-control spending, I can’t help but remember that those same critics contributed to the $1.3 trillion deficit we inherited when I took office – a debt that is partially a result of two tax cuts that went primarily to the wealthiest few and a Medicare drug program, none of which was paid for.

Now, because of that debt, a lot of people are saying we can’t go any further in tackling our problems, and we especially can’t do health care.  I understand people feel like they have had to cut back, so why do a new government program now?

Well let me explain why the health of America’s people and America’s economy demand health insurance reform.  Let me explain what reform will mean for you.

First of all, no one is talking about some government takeover of health care.  Under the reform I’ve proposed, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.  And if you’re one of the 46 million Americans who don’t have coverage today, you will finally be able to get quality, affordable coverage.

But what a lot of the chatter out there hasn’t focused on is the fact that if you’re an American who already has health insurance, the reform we’re proposing will provide you with more stability and security.  Because the truth is, we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn’t always work well for you.  What we need, and what we will have when we pass these reforms, are health insurance consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and insurance companies are held accountable.

Let me be specific.  We will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage because of your medical history.  I will never forget watching my own mother, as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a preexisting condition so it could get out of providing coverage. How many of you have worried about the same thing? How many of you have been denied insurance or heard of someone who was denied insurance because they have a pre-existing condition?  That will no longer be allowed.

With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses.  No one in America should go broke because of illness.

We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms, colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost not only lives, but money.

No longer will insurance companies be allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone who has become seriously ill. That’s not right and it’s not fair.

And we will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. Whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don’t have today – reforms that become more urgent and more urgent with each passing year.

In the end, the debate about reform boils down to a choice between two approaches. The first is projected to double your health costs over the next decade, make millions more Americans uninsured, and bankrupt state and federal governments. Now, I know a lot of you are probably thinking, that plan doesn’t sound too good. But that’s the status quo. That’s the health care system we have right now. So we can either continue with that approach, or we can choose another one – one that will bring down rising costs; provide quality, affordable insurance to every American; and help us get our exploding deficits under control. That’s the health care system we can bring about with reform.

Back in Washington, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the politics of health care; about who’s up and who’s down; and what it will mean for my party or this presidency if health insurance reform is passed or defeated. But here in North Carolina, you know this isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives. This is about people’s businesses. This is about our future.

And when our children and grandchildren look back on this moment, I don’t want them to say that we were focused on petty politics when we were called to something better. I don’t want them to say that we protected the status quo for special interests when we had a chance to reform health insurance for all Americans. I don’t want them to say that we wasted our best chance – and maybe our last – to get health care right. I want my daughters and your sons to say that we seized this moment; that we rose to this challenge; and that, like our parents and grandparents before us, we left the United States of America more prosperous, more secure, and more hopeful than we found it.

REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT AT THE WELCOME HOME CEREMONY FOR XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS

Parade Grounds
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
10:49 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  As you all can tell, I not only am a little hoarse, but I’m not accustomed to being introduced by three-stars other than saying, “Here’s the Vice President.”  (Laughter.)  I thank you for that gracious introduction, General, and I think I’m actually closer — I’m in the 20s in terms of my visits to the Balkans and the — all the way through to Afghanistan, and every place in between.

I committed, when I was elected to the United States Senate as a 29-year-old kid, that wherever I voted to send a man or a woman, I would go to see how they were doing.  And I know you all know it assembled here, but to the press corps assembled, and to anyone within the range of my voice or who’ll read these remarks, I have been incredibly — incredibly impressed.

My only regret, General, is when I’ve traveled to Prishtina or to Brcko or to — up into the Kunar Valley in Afghanistan, or — where you and I last hung out in Iraq, I — my only regret is that the rest of America is not standing next to me, literally seeing the job you all do, the sacrifices you make.

I have never been so proud as standing up in a hamlet in God knows nowhere in the Kunar Valley with six — I call them “kids” and my wife gets angry.  She said, “These are warriors, don’t call them kids.”  But they’re younger than I am, standing up there in the middle of nowhere on a mountain pass seeing six people at a forward operating base, and watching them handle an entire community, put themselves in a position where not only are they exposed, but they’re exposed also to not just the elements but to the people who in fact they’re trying to get to know.  And watching these young women and men without any fear or trepidation walking out into communities and villages of less than 200 people, building roads, making sure they have water, and actually, literally standing there, on occasion, behind some sandbag and physically — physically protecting them.

So I say to all of you assembled on this field today:  You are the best trained; you are the bravest; you are the most conditioned; you are the best force America has ever assembled.  And I’m just honored and proud to be here today with my wife, Jill.

Fifteen months ago, our country called you to serve in Iraq.  For some of you this was not your first deployment.  You arrived in a country that was on the brink of a civil war, a country that I first visited over six years ago.  I’ve been back about a dozen times, and watching the circumstance in which you walked into, with a country on the brink of a civil war, a country that experienced widespread sectarian violence while insurgents targeted our troops on a daily basis.

Thousands of young men and women prior to your arrival injured or killed, fighting like the devil to get MRAPs built to take place of up-armored Humvees.  Watching there at Dover Air Force Base as so many of these young warriors made their last — their last and final journey home to their country.  You went in the midst of what was an uncertain future for Iraq, and you left — you left five or six days ago — you left behind a country in which violence is being replaced by progress.

Over the course of your deployment, you dealt a serious blow to al Qaeda and Iraq by taking the fight to them in the north, by moving out into Anbar Province, by taking on the Shia extremists in the south, and by stemming the flow of weapons and foreign fighters along that broad, open, expansive border in Iraq.  You helped secure the provincial elections, which I might add, as you’ll remember, General, were very much in doubt.  Everybody acts now like this was a done deal, this was a certainty, but it was not — it was not.  So you have made sure those provincial elections took place at the beginning of this year, the first of what will be basically four elections in that country.

During the Iraqi elections of 2005, there were over 300 attacks.  During the provincial elections held just two months ago, there were 11 attacks in the entire country.  I know because I spent some time with General Allen (sic) in Iraq.  I know the general — excuse me, General Austin in Iraq — there’s also a General Allen, by the way — but General Austin in Iraq.  And I know, General, you saw these provincial elections as the key focus of your efforts, and you were dead right — you were dead right.

By helping these elections take place peacefully, you sent a message — all of you assembled here, you sent a message — you sent a message to the entire world that things weren’t moving backwards, but they were moving forward in Iraq, that a country that had been in chaos was able to actually hold an orderly transfer of power at a provincial level to allow the Iraqis to begin to gain control of their own destiny.  You gave them — you and thousands and tens of thousands of others over the period of the last seven years — you gave the Iraqis a chance, a fighting chance to reclaim their country and establish a stable government for the first time in God knows how long, a government chosen by their own people, not imposed upon them by a superpower, not imposed upon them by a dictator.

Perhaps most importantly, you and your predecessors built the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to a point — to a point where the President could announce the drawdown of American combat forces from Iraq.  I remember those early days — I say to my colleagues I remember those early days standing there with General Petraeus, watching what looked like the — kids trying to get together a police force and an army in those early days.  Well, because of all the work you’ve done, all the work our military has done, I am absolutely confident that the Iraqis are in a much better place to take responsibility for their own security.

To the men and women of the 18th Airborne Corps, on behalf of a grateful nation, we thank you, thank you for a job well done.  You did more than I suspect you even know.  It’s amazing to me as I go out into these battle spaces, how you just look at it like, “This is my job, sir.  Mr. Vice President, or Senator, this is my job” — like you’re showing up to the bakery that morning to make sure the muffins get put out.  (Laughter.)  You’re incredible, you’re absolutely incredible.  But you should know — you should know that with the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors, as my grandfather used to say, you set a country on a course that may affect the shape of the history of that region for a generation to come.

I want to recognize some of the distinguished leaders.  I know we should do this the other way.  I know my colleague, Senator Kay Hagan, and my two congressional colleagues up there know the way to start off is recognize the brass first.  But tell you the truth, you folks coming home are even more important than the brass that are here today, and more important than me and everyone assembled in that reviewing stand.

But the fact of the matter is, I don’t think you could have done your job without the training, the commitment, and the absolute unflinching loyalty of your Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin.  The last time I saw General Austin was in Kirkuk.  The first thing he asked me — he was getting in one of those helicopters, which I found fascinating — not “This is what I need, Mr. Vice President” — and then I was interim, I was between being a senator and a Vice President.  When I was a senator I had real power.  (Laughter.)  But all kidding aside, I remember it was the first thing he asked me.  He asked me about my son.  You didn’t ask me about anything else.  You asked me about my son.  I think that’s a reflection of how the General’s staff views every one of you that are deployed — you’re their sons and daughters.

So it’s great to have you home, General.  And I want to say publicly to the press here, so he cannot wiggle out of it, he made a commitment to me that when he got home, that he and his wife — Mrs. Austin, it was a pleasure meeting you, by the way, thank you — that you would come up to have dinner with my wife Jill and me in my new public housing accommodations.  (Laughter.)  So that was a commitment he made.  And I want to let you all know I’m going to hold him to it.  (Laughter.)  And General Charles Campbell, Commanding General, U.S. Forces Command — General, you’re the best of the best, and you’ve got one hell of an outfit underneath you.  And so I just want to thank you, thank you all for having the good judgment to follow these guys.

General James Lindsay is here, as well, as well as — he was former retired commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.  Also in our presence is the fellow who I — and this is probably why I slipped and said “Allen” — Command Sergeant Major Allen, who actually runs the whole show — (laughter) — is here today.  And Command Sergeant, at least that’s what my son tells me.  Captains and Majors don’t pay much attention to anybody but Command Sergeant Majors.

But it’s a delight to be here.  And Georgeann McRaven, whose husband is a commander, Joint Special Operations Command, who is still deployed; Tommy Bolton, who was referenced here, a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army.  And I want to thank the members of the Congress again, Senator Kay Hagan, and — who is a welcome addition and a good buddy of mine.  And I hope you’re enjoying the Senate as much as I did when I was there, Kay; and Bob Etheridge, who you all know well, and Mike McIntyre — two stalwart members of the United States Congress and overwhelming supporters of all of you here at Fort Bragg and every fighting man and woman in America; and Mayor Tony Chavonne of Fayetteville, and Mayor Ethel Clark of Spring Lake, for all you’ve done to connect this base to the community.  I know they appreciate it.  They talk about it.  And it is — coming from Delaware, where the Dover Air Force Base is a major presence in my state, the relationship with the community makes a gigantic difference in the quality of life for all those stationed here.  And you do a great job for them.

I also feel like I should recognize one guy who’s always been here for you when you come back, and that’s Iron Mike.  He didn’t say a damn thing to me when I came in today.  (Laughter.)  I saluted him; he didn’t respond.  But I know — I know you’re good to see — you were happy to see Iron Mike when you came on base; you know you’re home.

You know, there’s a famous expression uttered by the poet John Milton.  He said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”  “They also serve who only stand and wait.”  Well, you know, of all of the people we have to thank, there is no one we owe a greater debt to, as General Austin pointed out, than your families.  And that’s not a bit of hyperbole, that’s real — that’s real.  It’s hard enough to stand and wait in past wars when the whole nation has been at war, when everyone has understood the sacrifice your families are making, when everyone has understood what was going on.  But in a sense, we are more a military at war than a nation at war.  There’s a very few of you who make the sacrifices you make.

And I think it’s one thing to stand and wait when you have the psychic remuneration of a whole nation knowing about the sacrifice you’ve made.  You don’t ask for that, but it’s reinforcing when it exists.  But I think it’s even harder, because so many people — good, decent Americans — don’t have any idea of the depths of the sacrifices your families make.  It’s not that they don’t care, they do care.  But they’re going about their everyday life trying to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other, put bread on the table, keep their jobs.  And the sacrifices that are made, the exceptional sacrifices — a 15-month deployment.  To most Americans that’s a lifetime, 15 months.  And during that period of time a lot happens.

So I want you to know I think Jill and I understand.  I know my daughter-in-law and my two grandchildren understand the sacrifices your family made.  Jill and I proudly wear this blue star.  We proudly wear it.  But it’s interesting — it’s interesting.  As much as people care, they just don’t know the extent of the sacrifice you’re making.  But I want you to know that my wife and I know, President Obama and Michelle Obama know, my colleagues in the Congress know — and we appreciate it more than you can imagine.

You know, it’s amazing how when you’re confronted with the difficulties that all your families have been confronted with, how it gives you a different perspective.  My wife, for the last four years, and as you noticed, the First Lady Mrs. Obama, Michelle Obama — they’ve devoted an inordinate number of hours to making sure and championing the needs for military families.  We also know that a lot happened over the past 15 months that you haven’t been able to share.  Your child takes his first step; spoke his first or her first words; had a birthday without you, maybe more than one; things around the house that needed to be done weren’t able to be done.  Some of you even suffered losses in your family in those 15 months.  So, folks, we want you to know we genuinely, genuinely appreciate your families, almost as much as what you’ve done for us.  They have been incredible.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I know no one in North Carolina is interested in basketball.  (Laughter.)  I know it’s only a moderate pastime.  But at least you got home in time to see North Carolina win the national championship.  (Applause.)

And so, folks, your loved ones waited and they prayed, and they stood strong in your absence, and they deserve our thanks.  So on behalf of all of America, thank you, the families of these deployed soldiers.  (Applause.)

And when I say America owes you — and we owe you — to President Obama and me these are not idle phrases.  When we say we owe you, we mean it.  We owe you.  That’s why we’re working so hard to improve the quality of life on bases across America.  Here at Fort Bragg that means $30 million in investment, including the funds for a new child development center so we can get your kids off a waiting list into high-quality child care.  That’s why the so-called Recovery Act, that special legislation we passed at the front end provides $7 billion in new military construction projects, the majority of which are designed to improve the quality of life of our men and women serving this country.  That’s why we so strongly support the GI bill to make college more affordable, because you deserve it, and I hope you all are able to take advantage of it.  And that’s why we put caring for those who serve at the center of all our efforts.

President Obama and I are proud that in the first budget, even in these hard economic times, that we submitted — we called for an increase in funding for veterans, expanding the eligibility for health care coverage to additional half a million veterans in expanding the services that are afforded to those people.  I believe there’s only one sacred obligation.  I know people are tired of hearing me say this, but our government has only one truly sacred obligation.  We have a lot of obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation, and that’s to care for those who we send to war, and to give them everything they need when they return.

Ladies and gentlemen, if we only have $10 to spend in the entire federal government, then we are convinced that we have to spend six of it caring for those who come home in need.  We will spend all six before we spend it on anything else — on the elderly, on children, on the poor, on our roads, on our security — because this is the only genuinely sacred obligation this nation has.  The service that you and thousands and thousands of others who went before you in Iraq over the last six years — the services you’ve performed have come at great cost for some.  Some of our warriors and their families have paid a much steeper price than others.  Some had given their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, and we honor their memory.

But the best way to honor their memory, of those thousands — over 14,000 seriously injured coming home from the wars which we are engaged in and have been engaged in — we owe them the obligation to — we know we can never fully repay it, but we know we owe them the obligation to provide them the absolute best medical care and service they need.  Some will need that for the rest of their lives.  Their life expectancies will be 35 to 40 years, and some will need care for the entirety of those lives.

And I hope when these wars are finished — I hope, and they will be — and we’re victorious, I hope five years from now and seven years from now, when we’re asking for billions of dollars to meet that obligation to those wounded warriors who return home, no one forgets — no one forgets because in times of peace, sometimes — sometimes we forget.  Those sacrifices have been real.  The sacrifices you’ve made have been real.  They have stabilized Iraq, secured our interest, and put us in a position to begin in an orderly fashion to draw down forces and hand over responsibility to the Iraqis.  That’s the President’s plan — a plan that he came up with in conjunction with the Joint Chiefs, a plan that will mean a lot more homecomings like this and fewer deployments of units to take place into Iraq.

Yesterday, President Obama visited Iraq for two reasons:  one, to thank our troops for their sacrifice and their commitment — and a job done.  He understands that the burden their deployment has put on their families — he’s made it clear that he’s willing to do everything possible to meet the needs that are required for the mission and to support you on your return.  He also went to Iraq for another reason:  That is to send a message to President Maliki, a man I’ve met many times in Iraq and here, that there’s a lot of work left to be done, but the work is on the Iraqi watch now.  It’s time that they do their responsibility, not militarily alone.  It’s time to reconcile their political differences so they can enjoy the peace that they say they want and do want in their land.

It kind of reminds me of that famous story about Benjamin Franklin.  He came out of — on a very hot day in July in 1789 — out of Independence Hall, and a woman accosted him on the street and said, “Mr. Franklin, what have you given us?”  And his response was, “A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”  “A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”  Well, you have given the Iraqis the opportunity, for the first time in any of their memories, to live in peace.  But it’s up to them to make the political reconciliation necessary so they can keep it.

But the job of our warriors is not done.  The people who attacked the United States on 9/11, too many of them are alive and well in Pakistan.  My helicopter went down with a three-star and two of my colleagues about 9,000 feet in those mountains as we’re going up to Tora Bora.  And it gives you an overwhelming appreciation — overwhelming appreciation sitting up on top of that mountain for six hours in the cold with F-15s flying over top making sure you’re okay.  What some of the kids we have over there are doing, the incredible job.

General, all I had to do after six hours is walk with a helmet and a vest on about 400 meters up a hill to get to the other side to get to help in the middle of the night.  I’m in pretty good shape.  I want to tell you something.  It made me appreciate what it’s like in those mountains, somebody carrying 60 pounds on their back, having to worry about whether their life is at stake, and how difficult it is.

So, ladies and gentlemen, that’s where al Qaeda is; that’s where bin Laden is; that’s where the jihadists are who attacked the United States of America.  And President Obama, when he came into office, asked me to go to Afghanistan and come back with a report.  Because up to now, we had not absolutely clearly defined exactly what our mission is in Afghanistan.  And the President has stated it, along with the Joint Chiefs, clearly and indisputably.  He said, and I quote:  “Our mission is to disrupt, defeat, and dismantle al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”  That effort is still underway.  There’s more work to be done, which means there are more people who are going to be separated from their families.  We’re going to be asking more of those of you who wear the uniform.

Once again — once again, we’re calling on you.  I know the brave warriors of the 82nd, and I’ve had the opportunity, General, to visit the 82nd in a whole lot of places mentioned over the last 15 years.  You are warriors of the first degree.  But I know the brave warriors of the 82nd and their families are preparing to answer the call right now.  Even though today is a day of celebration and welcoming troops home, let me say in advance to the 82nd Airborne, God speed and safe passage.  Today — today is a day to celebrate, and we’re thankful.

As I was coming here, I read that nine months after the 82nd Airborne Division returned home in October of 2007, a strange thing happened:  The number of births at Womack Army Medical Center jumped by 50 percent.  Is that right?  You all are — you all are doing your job.  (Laughter.)  I just want you to know that.

So I’m hopeful — I’m hopeful that as the headline said in your local newspaper:  “The Stork Lands with the Airborne.”  Well, that’s a long way of saying I know you’re anxious for me to stop talking.  (Laughter.)  You’ve only been home four days, or three days.  It’s time to be with your loved ones.  And if past is prologue, General, I’m looking forward to coming back, being invited back nine months from now to an awful lot of christenings and baptisms.

And so let me close by saying 15 months ago, I understand that you had plane trouble delaying you getting there.  Well, I’m glad there was no delaying getting you back home.  So let me just say to you all again, on behalf of my wife, me, First Lady, the President, and an entire nation, a grateful nation — thank you so much.  And may God bless you, and may God protect every troop that’s in harm’s way.  It’s been an honor to be with you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  First of all, Marco, thank you for the wonderful introduction.  I don’t know if people heard properly here, but this is a all-natural health food restaurant in Philly.  (Laughter.)  So I asked him what was the equivalent at his shop for a cheese steak.  (Laughter.)  And he described for me — what was it, a chicken –

MR. LENTINI:  It’s our Chicken Italiano.  (Laughter.)  It’s a chicken cutlet, spinach Florentine, sharp provolone, all on an Italian ciabatta bread.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Right.  So I wanted to know if there was Whiz on that.  (Laughter.)  And he said, no.  (Laughter.)

Marco is an example of what small business is all about.  And I think Cynthia is an example of what community banks are doing all across the country, partnering with small businesses in order to create jobs and opportunity and entrepreneurship that’s been the driving force in our economy for so very long.

So I thank all of you, particularly the small businesses and community bankers who are here today.  And I thank the two of you, as well as some of the other entrepreneurs that we met, and bankers that we met, before this public event.  Thank you for sharing your stories.

I also want to thank the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senators Mary Landrieu and Olympia Snowe.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  As well as the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Congressman Sam Graves, who are here as well.  (Applause.)  I want to thank them publicly for being here, but also so much of the good work that our proposals today are building on has to do with the vigilance that they’ve shown on their committees.  So we very much appreciate that.

Now before I talk about the new steps we’re taking to get credit flowing to small businesses across our country, I do want to comment on the news about executive bonuses at AIG.  I think some of you have heard a little bit about this over the last few days.  This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed.  Under these circumstances, it’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay.  I mean, how do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?

In the last six months, AIG has received substantial sums from the U.S. Treasury.  And I’ve asked Secretary Geithner to use that leverage and pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole.  (Applause.)  I want everybody to be clear that Secretary Geithner has been on the case.  He’s working to resolve this matter with the new CEO, Edward Liddy — who, by the way, everybody needs to understand came on board after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year.

But I think Mr. Liddy and certainly everybody involved needs to understand this is not just a matter of dollars and cents.  It’s about our fundamental values.  All across the country, there are people who are working hard and meeting their responsibilities every day, without the benefit of government bailouts or multi-million dollar bonuses.  You’ve got a bunch of small business people here who are struggling just to keep their credit line open — that they are foregoing pay, as one of our entrepreneurs talked about, they are in some cases mortgaging their homes, and doing a whole host of things just in order to keep things afloat.  All they ask is that everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, play by the same rules.  And that is an ethic that we have to demand.

And what this situation also underscores is the need for overall financial regulatory reform, so we don’t find ourselves in this position again, and for some form of resolution mechanism in dealing with troubled financial institutions, so that we’ve got greater authority to protect American taxpayers and our financial system in cases such as this.

Now, we already have resolution authority — excuse me, I’m choked up with anger here — (laughter) — we always — already have some of that resolution authority when it comes to a traditional bank.  But when you start getting into AIGs and some of these other operations that have a whole bunch of different financial instruments, then we don’t have all the regulatory power that we need.  And this is something that I expect to work with Congress to deal with in the weeks and months to come.

Well, we’re here today to talk about how my administration can help the millions of small businesses bearing the brunt of this credit crisis.  And Secretary Geithner and I just met with not only Marco and Cynthia, but a number of other small business owners and community lenders who shared with us experiences that are familiar to so many.

Small businesses are the heart of the American economy.  They’re responsible for half of all private sector jobs –- and they create roughly 70 percent of all new jobs in the past decade.  So small businesses are not only job generators, they’re also at the heart of the American Dream.  After all, these are businesses born in family meetings around kitchen tables.  They’re born when a worker takes a chance on her desire to be her own boss.  They’re born when a part-time inventor becomes a full-time entrepreneur, or when somebody sees a product that could be better or a service that could be smarter, and they think, “Well, why not me?  Let me try it.  Let me take my shot.”  That’s Marco’s story, which he just shared with us.

That’s Brian Conrad’s story.  When Brian’s company eliminated his department — Brian is sitting right there, so I don’t want to embarrass him here, but it’s a great story — he lost his job, but he found his calling and started, you know, doing all kinds of work on a restaurant called the Blue Monkey, which now employs some 40 people in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.

That’s Carmen Jones’s story.  Carmen is over there.  Carmen was disabled in an accident a few years ago.  And in facing personal trials, she discovered a reservoir of strength and an untapped market.  So today she helps companies advertise and sell their services to people living with disabilities.

This is America’s story –- a place where we believe all things are possible; where we are limited only by our willingness to take a chance and work hard to achieve our dreams.  But today, too many entrepreneurs can’t access the capital to start, operate, or grow their business.  Too many dreams are being deferred or denied by a form letter cancelling a line of credit.

And this is a consequence of the credit crisis, which began when some banks bundled and sold mortgages in complex ways to hide risk and avoid responsibility.  The collapse of these mortgage-backed securities and other complex financial instruments froze the credit markets, including the markets that help small businesses access loans to cover payroll, to purchase supplies, or to expand in ways that create new jobs.

And I think it’s important just to take a moment to understand — here’s how these markets work.  A community bank, like the one run by Cynthia, offers an entrepreneur, like Marco, a loan to open up a restaurant.  Before this crisis, Cynthia had two options.  Her bank could hold the loan and receive regular payments from Marco as he pays back the amount that he borrowed plus interest.  But another option was the bank could also sell part of the loan as an asset to a larger bank or to an investor.  And that means that her bank could then use these new funds for more business loans and auto loans and home loans and student loans.

That’s why this secondary market — Cynthia’s ability to resell loans — is so important:  It means banks can offer small businesses and families more credit because the bank has more money on hand.  If Cynthia could get that $11 million of SBA loans that she currently holds in her portfolio, if she can get that into the secondary market, that’s now $11 million that she can make work back in her community.

Today, unfortunately, there aren’t nearly as many secondary buyers for these kinds of loans — even when they’re guaranteed by the Small Business Administration.  So community banks cannot bring in the funds necessary to provide as many loans.  And as a result, we’ve seen a precipitous drop in lending to small business.

The SBA typically guarantees $20 billion in loans annually.  But this year, lending may fall below $10 billion.  Even businesses with impeccable credit can’t access loans.

So entrepreneurs and their employees pay an enormous price.  But the whole country pays a price, as well, because less lending leads to fewer jobs and lower spending, which leads to less lending — a vicious cycle that delays our recovery.  And small businesses don’t just provide jobs — they provide the innovations that help us lead in the global economy.

Smaller companies produce 13 times more patents per employee than large companies.  Now, think about it.  Hewlett-Packard began in a garage.  It was a small business.  Google began as a research project — small business.  The first Apple computers were built by hand one at a time — small business.  McDonald’s started with one restaurant.  Marco, I know you’ve got ideas.  (Laughter.)  Small business.

Our recovery in the present and our prosperity in the future depend upon the success of America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs.  And that’s why my administration has already taken aggressive action on their behalf.

My recovery plan, as already been noted, raises the guarantees on SBA loans to 90 percent and eliminates costly fees for borrowers and lenders that can be too costly in a recession.  And these changes are being implemented now, fulfilling a campaign promise that I made.  The recovery plan also includes a series of tax cuts for small businesses and tax incentives to encourage investments in small businesses.  And the Treasury Department has launched the Consumer and Business Lending Initiative to help unfreeze the credit markets.

I’ve also proposed, as part of my budget, that we reduce to zero the capital gains tax for investments in small or startup businesses — expanding and making permanent one of the tax cuts in the recovery plan.  And my budget, as part of our health care reform efforts, calls for tax credits and other assistance to help small businesses offer coverage to their workers.

So we’ve already done a lot.  But we’ve got to do more.  And none of these steps will be effective unless we unlock the credit markets that are denying small businesses the loans they need to grow.

Therefore, as part of my Financial Stability Plan, the Treasury Department will begin purchasing up to $15 billion of SBA loans through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.  We will immediately unfreeze the secondary market for SBA loans and increase the liquidity of community banks.  Cynthia’s bank is going to be able to sell those $11 million loans so that she’s got more money to lend.  (Applause.)

So with this action, any lender that provides SBA small business loans will have a buyer for those loans.  And in turn, community banks will no longer have to choose between providing loans to creditworthy small businesses and maintaining the required capital and liquidity.

Now, this plan is the latest step –- but by no means the last step –- in our ongoing efforts to stabilize the financial markets on behalf of businesses and consumers.  We’ll be outlining further steps on behalf of small businesses in the weeks and months ahead.  And we will continue to do whatever is necessary to lead this economy out of recession and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity.

That’s what the small business owners in this room expect us to do.  They’re folks like John Wilson, the president and part owner of a small business in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He wrote to me a few weeks ago and participated in the meeting we just held.

And John’s business, NC Design Group, sells cabinets and interior design services.  And not surprisingly, it’s been a tough year.  Sales have fallen by half.  And keep in mind, John had previously doubled what had started off as a very small business, to the point where he’s providing a living for — it was up to 40 — 48 people.  And John did all that he could to save loans.  The owners, including John, have taken no compensation.  But they had to reduce the size of their company from 48 employees to 34.  And John just told the group of us that he personally took the time to speak to each and every person that he had to lay off.  And I don’t think he minds me sharing that he cried each time he did it, because it’s a hard thing when somebody is working hard and committed to helping you build your business, you having to lay them off.

And now, even though they’ve never been late on a payment to the bank, they’re having trouble keeping a credit line.  It’s putting his small business –- and the 34 jobs left –- in jeopardy.

Now, John is not looking for a handout.  He’s looking for the opportunity to succeed.  And he said it best himself in his letter, and I’m quoting from the letter here:  “Small business people are incredibly resilient and resourceful given half a chance,” he said.  “But we need the chance.”

Well, I want to say to John and to every American running a small business or hoping to run a small business one day:  You deserve a chance.  America needs you to have that chance.  And as President, I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that you have the opportunity to contribute to your community, to our economy, and to the future of the United States of America.

Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Former presidential candidate John Edwards is preparing to address an audience of Brown University students.

It’s one of his first public appearances since his admission of infidelity last summer.

The Tuesday night talk is titled “Beautiful America” and is hosted by the Brown Lecture Board.

Edwards was John Kerry’s running mate in 2004 and ran again last year, before abandoning his bid during the Democratic primaries.

The former North Carolina senator acknowledged last August that he had an affair in 2006 with a woman, Rielle Hunter, who was hired to produce videos of him as he plotted a second bid for the White House.

Edwards has had limited public appearances since then.

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Friday, February 27, 2009

 Good morning Marines. Good morning Camp Lejeune. Good morning Jacksonville. Thank you for that outstanding welcome. I want to thank Lieutenant General Hejlik for hosting me here today.

I also want to acknowledge all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. That includes the Camp Lejeune Marines now serving with – or soon joining – the Second Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq; those with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force in Afghanistan; and those among the 8,000 Marines who are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. We have you in our prayers. We pay tribute to your service. We thank you and your families for all that you do for America. And I want all of you to know that there is no higher honor or greater responsibility than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Ryan Crocker, who recently completed his service as our Ambassador to Iraq. Throughout his career, Ryan always took on the toughest assignments. He is an example of the very best that this nation has to offer, and we owe him a great debt of gratitude. He carried on his work with an extraordinary degree of cooperation with two of our finest Generals – General David Petraeus, and General Ray Odierno – who will be critical in carrying forward the strategy that I will outline today.

Next month will mark the sixth anniversary of the war in Iraq. By any measure, this has already been a long war. For the men and women of America’s armed forces – and for your families – this war has been one of the most extraordinary chapters of service in the history of our nation. You have endured tour after tour after tour of duty. You have known the dangers of combat and the lonely distance of loved ones. You have fought against tyranny and disorder. You have bled for your best friends and for unknown Iraqis. And you have borne an enormous burden for your fellow citizens, while extending a precious opportunity to the people of Iraq. Under tough circumstances, the men and women of the United States military have served with honor, and succeeded beyond any expectation. 

Today, I have come to speak to you about how the war in Iraq will end.

To understand where we need to go in Iraq, it is important for the American people to understand where we now stand. Thanks in great measure to your service, the situation in Iraq has improved. Violence has been reduced substantially from the horrific sectarian killing of 2006 and 2007. Al Qaeda in Iraq has been dealt a serious blow by our troops and Iraq’s Security Forces, and through our partnership with Sunni Arabs. The capacity of Iraq’s Security Forces has improved, and Iraq’s leaders have taken steps toward political accommodation. The relative peace and strong participation in January’s provincial elections sent a powerful message to the world about how far Iraqis have come in pursuing their aspirations through a peaceful political process. 

But let there be no doubt: Iraq is not yet secure, and there will be difficult days ahead. Violence will continue to be a part of life in Iraq. Too many fundamental political questions about Iraq’s future remain unresolved. Too many Iraqis are still displaced or destitute. Declining oil revenues will put an added strain on a government that has had difficulty delivering basic services. Not all of Iraq’s neighbors are contributing to its security. Some are working at times to undermine it. And even as Iraq’s government is on a surer footing, it is not yet a full partner – politically and economically – in the region, or with the international community

In short, today there is a renewed cause for hope in Iraq, but that hope rests upon an emerging foundation.

On my first full day in office, I directed my national security team to undertake a comprehensive review of our strategy in Iraq to determine the best way to strengthen that foundation, while strengthening American national security. I have listened to my Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and commanders on the ground. We have acted with careful consideration of events on the ground; with respect for the security agreements between the United States and Iraq; and with a critical recognition that the long-term solution in Iraq must be political – not military. Because the most important decisions that have to be made about Iraq’s future must now be made by Iraqis.

We have also taken into account the simple reality that America can no longer afford to see Iraq in isolation from other priorities: we face the challenge of refocusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan; of relieving the burden on our military; and of rebuilding our struggling economy – and these are challenges that we will meet.

Today, I can announce that our review is complete, and that the United States will pursue a new strategy to end the war in Iraq through a transition to full Iraqi responsibility.

This strategy is grounded in a clear and achievable goal shared by the Iraqi people and the American people: an Iraq that is sovereign, stable, and self-reliant. To achieve that goal, we will work to promote an Iraqi government that is just, representative, and accountable, and that provides neither support nor safe-haven to terrorists. We will help Iraq build new ties of trade and commerce with the world. And we will forge a partnership with the people and government of Iraq that contributes to the peace and security of the region.

What we will not do is let the pursuit of the perfect stand in the way of achievable goals. We cannot rid Iraq of all who oppose America or sympathize with our adversaries. We cannot police Iraq’s streets until they are completely safe, nor stay until Iraq’s union is perfected. We cannot sustain indefinitely a commitment that has put a strain on our military, and will cost the American people nearly a trillion dollars. America’s men and women in uniform have fought block by block, province by province, year after year, to give the Iraqis this chance to choose a better future. Now, we must ask the Iraqi people to seize it. 

The first part of this strategy is therefore the responsible removal of our combat brigades from Iraq.

As a candidate for President, I made clear my support for a timeline of 16 months to carry out this drawdown, while pledging to consult closely with our military commanders upon taking office to ensure that we preserve the gains we’ve made and protect our troops. Those consultations are now complete, and I have chosen a timeline that will remove our combat brigades over the next 18 months.

Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.

As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq. We will proceed carefully, and I will consult closely with my military commanders on the ground and with the Iraqi government. There will surely be difficult periods and tactical adjustments. But our enemies should be left with no doubt: this plan gives our military the forces and the flexibility they need to support our Iraqi partners, and to succeed.

After we remove our combat brigades, our mission will change from combat to supporting the Iraqi government and its Security Forces as they take the absolute lead in securing their country. As I have long said, we will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi Security Forces as long as they remain non-sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq. Initially, this force will likely be made up of 35-50,000 U.S. troops.

Through this period of transition, we will carry out further redeployments. And under the Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government, I intend to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. We will complete this transition to Iraqi responsibility, and we will bring our troops home with the honor that they have earned.

As we responsibly remove our combat brigades, we will pursue the second part of our strategy: sustained diplomacy on behalf of a more peaceful and prosperous Iraq.

The drawdown of our military should send a clear signal that Iraq’s future is now its own responsibility. The long-term success of the Iraqi nation will depend upon decisions made by Iraq’s leaders and the fortitude of the Iraqi people. Iraq is a sovereign country with legitimate institutions; America cannot – and should not – take their place. However, a strong political, diplomatic, and civilian effort on our part can advance progress and help lay a foundation for lasting peace and security.

This effort will be led by our new Ambassador to Iraq – Chris Hill. From his time in the Peace Corps, to his work in Kosovo and Korea, Ambassador Hill has been tested, and he has shown the pragmatism and skill that we need right now. He will be supported by the courageous and capable work of so many American diplomats and aid workers who are serving in Iraq.

Going forward, we can make a difference on several fronts. We will work with the United Nations to support national elections, while helping Iraqis improve local government. We can serve as an honest broker in pursuit of fair and durable agreements on issues that have divided Iraq’s leaders. And just as we will support Iraq’s Security Forces, we will help Iraqi institutions strengthen their capacity to protect the rule of law, confront corruption, and deliver basic services.

Diplomacy and assistance is also required to help the millions of displaced Iraqis. These men, women and children are a living consequence of this war and a challenge to stability in the region, and they must become a part of Iraq’s reconciliation and recovery. America has a strategic interest – and a moral responsibility – to act. In the coming months, my administration will provide more assistance and take steps to increase international support for countries already hosting refugees; we’ll cooperate with others to resettle Iraqis facing great personal risk; and we will work with the Iraqi government over time to resettle refugees and displaced Iraqis within Iraq – because there are few more powerful indicators of lasting peace than displaced citizens returning home.

Now, before I go any further, I want to take a moment to speak directly to the people of Iraq.

You are a great nation, rooted in the cradle of civilization. You are joined together by enduring accomplishments, and a history that connects you as surely as the two rivers carved into your land. In years past, you have persevered through tyranny and terror; through personal insecurity and sectarian violence. And instead of giving in to the forces of disunion, you stepped back from a descent into civil war, and showed a proud resilience that deserves respect.

Our nations have known difficult times together. But ours is a bond forged by shared bloodshed, and countless friendships among our people. We Americans have offered our most precious resource – our young men and women – to work with you to rebuild what was destroyed by despotism; to root out our common enemies; and to seek peace and prosperity for our children and grandchildren, and for yours.

There are those who will try to prevent that future for Iraq – who will insist that Iraq’s differences cannot be reconciled without more killing. They represent the forces that destroy nations and lead only to despair, and they will test our will in the months and years to come. America, too, has known these forces. We endured the pain of Civil War, and bitter divisions of region and race. But hostility and hatred are no match for justice; they offer no pathway to peace; and they must not stand between the people of Iraq and a future of reconciliation and hope.

So to the Iraqi people, let me be clear about America’s intentions. The United States pursues no claim on your territory or your resources. We respect your sovereignty and the tremendous sacrifices you have made for your country. We seek a full transition to Iraqi responsibility for the security of your country. And going forward, we can build a lasting relationship founded upon mutual interests and mutual respect as Iraq takes its rightful place in the community of nations.

That leads me to the third part of our strategy –comprehensive American engagement across the region.

The future of Iraq is inseparable from the future of the broader Middle East, so we must work with our friends and partners to establish a new framework that advances Iraq’s security and the region’s. It is time for Iraq to be a full partner in a regional dialogue, and for Iraq’s neighbors to establish productive and normalized relations with Iraq. And going forward, the United States will pursue principled and sustained engagement with all of the nations in the region, and that will include Iran and Syria.

This reflects a fundamental truth: we can no longer deal with regional challenges in isolation – we need a smarter, more sustainable and comprehensive approach. That is why we are renewing our diplomacy, while relieving the burden on our military. That is why we are refocusing on al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan; developing a strategy to use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon; and actively seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Arab world.  And that is why we have named three of America’s most accomplished diplomats – George Mitchell, Dennis Ross and Richard Holbrooke – to support Secretary Clinton and me as we carry forward this agenda. 

Every nation and every group must know – whether you wish America good or ill – that the end of the war in Iraq will enable a new era of American leadership and engagement in the Middle East. And that era has just begun.

Finally, I want to be very clear that my strategy for ending the war in Iraq does not end with military plans or diplomatic agendas – it endures through our commitment to uphold our sacred trust with every man and woman who has served in Iraq.

You make up a fraction of the American population, but in an age when so many people and institutions have acted irresponsibly, you did the opposite – you volunteered to bear the heaviest burden. And for you and for your families, the war does not end when you come home. It lives on in memories of your fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who gave their lives. It endures in the wound that is slow to heal, the disability that isn’t going away, the dream that wakes you at night, or the stiffening in your spine when a car backfires down the street. 

You and your families have done your duty – now a grateful nation must do ours. That is why I am increasing the number of soldiers and Marines, so that we lessen the burden on those who are serving. And that is why I have committed to expanding our system of veterans health care to serve more patients, and to provide better care in more places. We will continue building new wounded warrior facilities across America, and invest in new ways of identifying and treating the signature wounds of this war: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, as well as other combat injuries.

We also know that service does not end with the person wearing the uniform. In her visits with military families across the country, my wife Michelle has learned firsthand about the unique burden that your families endure every day. I want you to know this: military families are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will be a top priority for my administration. We’ll raise military pay, and continue providing quality child-care, job-training for spouses, and expanded counseling and outreach to families that have known the separation and stress of war. We will also heed the lesson of history – that those who fight in battle can form the backbone of our middle class – by implementing a 21st century GI Bill to help our veterans live their dreams.

As a nation, we have had our share of debates about the war in Iraq. It has, at times, divided us as a people. To this very day, there are some Americans who want to stay in Iraq longer, and some who want to leave faster. But there should be no disagreement on what the men and women of our military have achieved.

And so I want to be very clear: We sent our troops to Iraq to do away with Saddam Hussein’s regime – and you got the job done. We kept our troops in Iraq to help establish a sovereign government – and you got the job done. And we will leave the Iraqi people with a hard-earned opportunity to live a better life – that is your achievement; that is the prospect that you have made possible.

There are many lessons to be learned from what we’ve experienced. We have learned that America must go to war with clearly defined goals, which is why I’ve ordered a review of our policy in Afghanistan. We have learned that we must always weigh the costs of action, and communicate those costs candidly to the American people, which is why I’ve put Iraq and Afghanistan into my budget. We have learned that in the 21st century, we must use all elements of American power to achieve our objectives, which is why I am committed to building our civilian national security capacity so that the burden is not continually pushed on to our military. We have learned that our political leaders must pursue the broad and bipartisan support that our national security policies depend upon, which is why I will consult with Congress and in carrying out my plans. And we have learned the importance of working closely with friends and allies, which is why we are launching a new era of engagement in the world.

The starting point for our policies must always be the safety of the American people. I know that you – the men and women of the finest fighting force in the history of the world – can meet any challenge, and defeat any foe. And as long as I am your Commander-in-Chief, I promise you that I will only send you into harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary, and provide you with the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That is the most important lesson of all – for the consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. 

You know because you have seen those sacrifices. You have lived them. And we all honor them.

“Semper Fidelis” – it means always being faithful to Corps, and to country, and to the memory of fallen comrades like Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter. These young men enlisted in a time of war, knowing they would face great danger. They came here, to Camp Lejeune, as they trained for their mission. And last April, they were standing guard in Anbar. In an age when suicide is a weapon, they were suddenly faced with an oncoming truck filled with explosives. These two Marines stood their ground. These two Marines opened fire. And these two Marines stopped that truck. When the thousands of pounds of explosives detonated, they had saved fifty Marines and Iraqi police who would have been in the truck’s path, but Corporal Yale and Lance Corporal Haerter lost their own lives. Jonathan was 21. Jordan was 19.

In the town where Jordan Haerter was from, a bridge was dedicated in his name. One Marine who traveled to the ceremony said: “We flew here from all over the country to pay tribute to our friend Jordan, who risked his life to save us. We wouldn’t be here without him.”

America’s time in Iraq is filled with stories of men and women like this. Their names are written into bridges and town squares. They are etched into stones at Arlington, and in quiet places of rest across our land. They are spoken in schools and on city blocks. They live on in the memories of those who wear your uniform, in the hearts of those they loved, and in the freedom of the nation they served.

Each American who has served in Iraq has their own story. Each of you has your own story. And that story is now a part of the history of the United States of America – a nation that exists only because free men and women have bled for it from the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of Anbar; from the mountains of Korea to the streets of Kandahar. You teach us that the price of freedom is great. Your sacrifice should challenge all of us – every single American – to ask what we can do to be better citizens.

There will be more danger in the months ahead. We will face new tests and unforeseen trials. But thanks to the sacrifices of those who have served, we have forged hard-earned progress, we are leaving Iraq to its people, and we have begun the work of ending this war. 

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America. Semper Fi.