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White House Press Office

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Enda Kenny of Ireland at a St. Patrick's Day Luncheon

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By The White House

U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.

1:05 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Please, everybody, have a seat.

To our host, Speaker Boehner, to the distinguished members of the House and the Senate, thank you all for having me here today. Obviously, we are thrilled to have the Taoiseach back, and his lovely wife and his delegation.

But before I begin, I just want to say a few words about a tragic accident in Nevada that took the lives of seven U.S. servicemembers and wounded several others yesterday. All of us share our thoughts and prayers with their families. And I think this should serve as a reminder that even as we’re able to gather today in tradition and in friendship, it’s the extraordinary and enduring sacrifice of our men and women in uniform that make this possible, and the sacrifices that their families make as well. And all Americans stand united in grateful support of all that they do.

Now, I know I speak for everyone when I say we’re pleased to welcome Taoiseach Kenny and his wife, Fionnuala, back to Washington. They are just wonderful friends. I also want to welcome First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness from Northern Ireland. Where are Peter and Martin? There they are right here. (Applause.)

We spend the whole year trying to bring this town together, and these leaders are able to do it in a single afternoon. They even get us to dress alike. (Laughter.) So my question is how long can you stay? (Laughter.) Because we’ve got some budget discussions coming up. Perhaps you can be helpful.

Now, even though most of the debate in Congress on this day is about who is more Irish than whom, that doesn't make it any less heated. But no matter how much green is in your family tree, remember that Speaker Boehner is part-Irish and spent much of his childhood surrounded by characters in his father’s bar, so the rest of us are probably playing for second place in this contest.

I will say that after visiting my ancestral hometown of Moneygall two years ago, I’ve now seen the official Irish records proving my Irish heritage on my mother’s side. I thought that would come in handy more often, but it turns out that on St. Patrick’s Day, people just take your word for it. (Laughter.) I’m keeping all my records. (Laughter.) Just in case. (Laughter.)

The truth is we have plenty of Irishmen and women here today, but not just today, here every day. They represent the latest in the long line of sons and daughters of Erin who have walked the halls of Congress and who’ve occupied the Oval Office. To adapt an old saying, the curse of the Irish is not that they don't have an opinion about anything, it’s that …read more
Source: White House Press Office

News, Politics, Government

Remarks by the President in the State of the Union Address

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By The White House

U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.
9:15 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, fellow citizens:
Fifty-one years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this chamber that “the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress.” (Applause.) “It is my task,” he said, “to report the State of the Union — to improve it is the task of us all.”
Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. (Applause.) After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs. We buy more American cars than we have in five years, and less foreign oil than we have in 20. (Applause.) Our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, and consumers, patients, and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. (Applause.)
So, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the State of our Union is stronger. (Applause.)
But we gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. Our economy is adding jobs — but too many people still can’t find full-time employment. Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time highs — but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged.
It is our generation’s task, then, to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class. (Applause.)
It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country — the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, or who you love.
It is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. (Applause.)
The American people don’t expect government to solve every problem. They don’t expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nation’s interests before party. (Applause.) They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together, and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all.
Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget — decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery.
Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office