What Government Did Today

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Fire Station #5 Arlington, Virginia 11:30 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.) Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Well, good morning, everybody.

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Remarks by the President on the Veterans Job Corps

Release Time:  For Immediate Release From more than 300 submissions, 20 finalists recognized for displaying exemplary support to military families and veterans Challenge winners to be announced this Spring, based on input from Tom Brokaw, J.R. Martinez, Sloan D

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First Lady & Dr. Biden Announce “Joining Forces Community Challenge" finalists from across the country

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Location:  Private Residence, Los Angeles, California 1:18 P.M. PST         MRS. OBAMA:  All right!  (Applause.)  All right, this is some good stuff.  This really is.  (Applause.)  Wow.  Thank you all so much.  Please, rest yourselves, because you obviously have been working hard already.  (Laughter.)         Wow, the power of women — and a few brave men, too.  (Laughter.)  It's a good thing.  Thank you so much.  It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with so many fabulous, fabulous women.  And you all brothers are okay, too — the men — men are good, men are good.  (Laughter.)         I want to start by thanking Mattie for that very kind introduction.  But, more importantly, she and Michael have — they have been with us from the way beginning; the "Barack Obama Who?" beginning; the Barack — what?  You want me to write a check for that guy?  (Laughter.)  They were there from the very start, and they have not just been supporters but they have been friends, they have been our encouragers, they have been the handful of people who kind of keep us grounded in ways that I don't think they even really understand.  So I want to take this time to just give them a shoutout of love, because they are just amazing people.  Thank you.  Thank you, guys.  Thank you for opening up your home.  (Applause.)          I've been in L.A.

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Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event — Los Angeles, CA

Release Time:  For Immediate Release James Lee Community Center Falls Church, Virginia 11:05 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Everybody please have a seat.  Have a seat.  It is great to be back in Falls Church.  (Applause.)  Thank you for having me.  Last week, in my State of the Union, I laid out my blueprint for an economy that’s built to last.  And I want to assure you I am not going to go over the whole thing again this morning.  (Laughter.)  That was a long speech.  I'm not going to repeat the whole thing.  (Laughter.)  But I do want to talk about some of the issues that I discussed last week because the blueprint we put forward was one that focuses on restoring what have always been this country's greatest strengths — American manufacturing, American energy, skills and education for American workers so that we can compete with anybody around the world in this 21st century economy, and most importantly, the American values of fairness and responsibility.  Fairness and responsibility.  (Applause.) Now, we know what happens, because we've just seen it — what happened when we stray from those values.  We saw what happened over the past decade when we strayed from those values  — especially when it comes to the massive housing bubble that burst and hurt so many people.  Millions of families who did the right and the responsible thing, folks who shopped for a home that they could afford, secured a mortgage, made their payments each month — they were hurt badly by the irresponsible actions of other people who weren’t playing by the same rules, weren’t taking the same care, weren’t acting as responsibly.  By lenders who sold loans to people who they knew couldn’t afford the mortgages; and buyers who bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford; and banks that packaged those mortgages up and traded them to reap phantom profits, knowing that they were building a house of cards.  It was wrong.  It was wrong.  It triggered the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes.  And it has been the single biggest drag on our recovery from a terrible recession.  Crushing debt has kept millions of consumers from spending.  A lack of building demand has kept hundreds of thousands of construction workers idle.  Everybody involved in the home-building business  — folks who make windows, folks who make carpets — they've all been impacted.  The challenge is massive in size and in scope, because we've got a multitrillion-dollar housing industry.  And economists can tell you how it’s affected all sorts of statistics, from GDP to consumer confidence. But what’s at stake is more than just statistics.  It’s personal.  I’ve been saying that this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class.  And this housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America:  our homes — the place where we invest our nest egg, place where we raise our family, the place where we plant roots in a community, the place where we build memories.  It’s personal.  It affects so much of how people feel about their lives, about their communities, about the country, about the economy.  We need to do everything in our power to repair the damage and make responsible families whole again.  Everything we can.  (Applause.)  Now, the truth is it’s going to take more time than any of us would like for the housing market to fully recover from this crisis.  This was a big bubble, and when it burst it had a big effect.  Home prices started a pretty steady decline about five years ago.  And government certainly can’t fix the entire problem on its own.  But it is wrong for anybody to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom.  (Applause.)  I refuse to accept that, and so do the American people.

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Remarks by the President on Housing

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Hyatt Regency Hotel Cambridge, Maryland 1:36 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  All right, everybody have a seat.  Now, let me begin by saying I was told that on a CD that I've just received — (laughter) — that all of you participated in a rendition of Al Green.  (Laughter.)  What I did not realize was that you also had a reverend who can preach as good as Al Green in John Larson.  (Applause.)  I kept on looking for the collection plate getting passed.  (Laughter.)  But, John, thank you for that rousing introduction.  To the leader of this august body and soon to be once again Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi — (applause.)  To the rest of the leadership team — Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn, Xavier Becerra, and the best possible chair we could have for the DNC, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  (Applause.)  We've got an all-star team assembled and ready to get to work

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Remarks by the President at the House Democrats Issues Conference

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Private Residence Palm Beach, Florida 4:28 P.M. EST   MRS

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Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event — Palm Beach, FL

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Private Residence Sarasota, Florida 1:50 P.M. EST MRS

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Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event — Sarasota, FL

Release Time:  For Immediate Release On Monday, I authorized an operation to rescue Jessica Buchanan, an American citizen who was kidnapped and held against her will for three months in Somalia. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our Special Operations Forces, yesterday Jessica Buchanan was rescued and she is on her way home. As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts

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Statement by the President on Successful Hostage Rescue

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Browne Education Campus Washington, D.C. 9:57 A.M.

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Remarks by the President at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Service Event

Release Time:  For Immediate Release Today, President Obama called Representative Gabrielle Giffords to offer his support in advance of the candlelight vigil commemorating the anniversary of the tragic shooting in Tucson.  The President told Rep. Giffords that he and the First Lady keep her, the families of the fallen, and the whole Tucson community in their daily thoughts and prayers and, along with the entire nation, continue to join her in mourning those lost. The President expressed amazement at the courage and determination Rep.

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Readout of the President’s call to Representative Gabrielle Giffords