In 1796, as George Washington set the precedent for a peaceful, democratic transfer of power, he also set a precedent by penning a farewell address to the American people. And over the 220 years since, many American presidents have followed his lead.
I'm just beginning to write my remarks. But I'm thinking about them as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.
Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger. That's because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding -- our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better.
Now it's up to you to make sure your friends and family start the New Year with a healthy step forward. And that starts with getting covered.
If your friends and family sign up before the end of today, their coverage is guaranteed to start on New Year’s Day of 2017. Here are three things you need to share with them today.
Financial help is available to make coverage more affordable. In fact, most current Marketplace consumers can buy a plan for $75 or less a month in premiums after tax credits. And nearly 85 percent of consumers shopping on the Marketplace are eligible for financial assistance.
It's easier to sign up in a number of ways. For example, people can search for plans based on whether they cover a particular doctor or prescription. And we've made it easier than ever to shop on mobile devices.
There are people available to help, in multiple languages. People can visitLocalHelp.HealthCare.gov to find a location with in-person help. Or they can speak with someone over the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English or in Spanish, at 1-800-318-2596.
I'm not the only one who wants to make sure that they're covered. Take it from President Obama and Bill Murray -- this stuff matters.
So don’t wait. Tell your friends and family that affordable coverage could be just a few clicks away.
At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.
For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.
Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro's family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
BOB DYLAN, el poeta de la generación 60’s, era en realidad un ansioso folk rocker que buscó y encontró la forma de masificar sus creaciones, poesía pura que encantarían no a miles, sino, millones de seres humanos en el mundo. Eran tiempos del HIPPIÍSMO, movimiento del PEACE AND LOVE, que culminaría con el WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL…Por cierto, evento, al que se esperaba que Dylan, participara, pero no lo hizo, aunque Dylan, vivía en esos momentos (1968) en Woodstock y se esperaba que él participara en el festival más importante de la historia junto a JIMI HENDRIX y otros genios del rock, como JANIS JPLIN, pues no, no lo hizo, porque estaba enojado por tanto HIPPI que circundaba en el área y él estaba recuperándose de un accidente en Moto….La historia de Dylan, cita que WOODY GUTHRIE, era su artista favorito un folk contestatario en sus letras, un ídolo de muchos…Dylan lo persiguió hasta encontrarlo y tocarle algunas canciones y GUTHRIE, dijo a sus amigos que el muchacho tenía talento, ese fue el inicio de su carrera, que originó hasta 2016, se le reconociera con el PREMIO NOBEL DE LITERATURA, pese a la controversia desatada, porque él era compositor de canciones…sin embargo… Dylan, sí fue escritor. escribió dos libros uno que narraba su ir y venir por la vida buscando cómo grabar sus canciones y lo logró en 1962 , cuando su primer álbum sale a la luz sorprendiendo al respetable de todo el mundo y con el título de “Bob Dylan”, aunque en realidad él se llamaba ROBERT ALLEN ZIMMERMAN, nacido el 24 de mayo de 1941….Aunque Dylan no gustaba del hipismo, él es como un símbolo del movimiento juvenil, de aquel tiempo en que la juventud anglosajona protestaba contra la GUERRA DE VIETMAN, que fue injusta y apestosamente criminal contra un pueblo pobre, pero valiente, que se defendió del inmerecido ataque de los Estados Unidos…Las “Crónicas de Volumen”, primer libro y el segundo su autobiografía, en sí, no son el motivo para el NOBEL DE LITERATURA, y si sus canciones, que alegaban libertad y lucha por la Paz y no la guerra , deliciosos temas que llevaron a Dylan a obtener la atención del mundo de los jóvenes soñadores con una justicia que exigía con letras y armónica, guitarra y una gran dosis de verdad, poéticamente y eso fue como acompañar las protestas del llamado “FLOWER POWER”, movimiento afín al de PEACE AND LOVE, que llegó a los confines del Orbe…La generación de los 60’s, recibió de Dylan la propuesta contracultural que abrazaba la generación Beat, conformada por una unión total contra la milicia….Ese ambiente social, llevó a Dylan a ser el líder, sin quererlo, de toda una generación que vivió la época dorada de la música, desde el rock de JIMI HENDIX; la voz estruendosa de JANIS JOPLIN, o el rock en su máximo grado de pureza derrochado en el talento increíble, gustoso, sabroso y aceptado por el mundo…EL fascinante rock en su máxima pureza y creatividad de LED ZEPPELIN, EL TALENTO DE The BEATLES; ROLLING STONE Y MICK JSAGGER; JIM MORRISON, etrc, junto a la OLA INGLESA del rock…Mientras en México LA TINTA BLANCA tocaba frenéticamente en el Lago de Chapultepec, en la Isla y THe Dug Dugs, interpretaban, en el pista de Hielo Insurgentes, a uno y otro ídolo anglosajón, se deba la masacre del 68 en Tlaltelolco ordenada por el asesino LUIS EWCHEVERRIA y su jefe el peor Presidente de México, junto con VICENTE FOX, GUSTAVO DIAZ ORDAZ… México y sus pubertos y adolescentes, conocíamos a DYLAN por la Radio, cantábamos un mal inglés, y no sabíamos que quería decir pero DYLAN, su voz y música, se escuchaban muy padre”…Hay que aclarar que sin embargo, los chavitos de ese México y su juventud odiada por los políticos del PRI, entendimos lo básico, el mensaje de Dylan, que era la búsqueda de la Libertad y la Paz, no a la Guerra, por ello, mejor le hubieran entregado el PREMIO NOBEL DE LA PAZ y eso hubiese sido mejor porque DYLAN lo dijo muy claro a todas las preguntas de esa generación en especial con una sólida y hermosa canción que enarbolaba un conflicto generacional con un poema: “LA RESPUESTA, MI AMIGO, ESTA EN EL VIENTO”…albertoestevez88@hotmail.com
One of my favorite things about launching our My Brother's Keeper initiative has been spending time with some outstanding young people from across the country. Whether it's shooting hoops with the young people in our White House Mentorship and Leadership program, or chatting over soul food with teens from New Orleans, I've gotten to know some great kids who are succeeding despite the odds.
Many of them are going through the same issues I faced growing up. I was angry about not having a dad in the house -- something I didn't realize at the time. I made dumb mistakes. I didn't always follow the straight path. But I was fortunate. I had people in my life who encouraged me -- my mom, my grandparents, my teachers. I had a support system of folks who pushed me to work hard and make the most of myself.
Every young person in America deserves the same opportunities I had: a world-class education, a pathway to apply for college or find a job, and a chance to lay a foundation for a career and a family.
But the fact is that in America, some groups have the odds stacked against them across multiple generations. And by so many measures, the group that is facing some of the most severe challenges in the 21st century are boys and young men of color.
That's why we started My Brother's Keeper: to bring together the private and public sector to ensure that all young people in America can reach their full potential.
In just two years, My Brother's Keeper has come a long way. Nearly 250 communities across 50 states, 19 tribal nations, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have committed to supporting our kids from cradle to college to career. We've implemented new federal programs that are breaking down barriers to opportunity. And foundations and companies have made more than $1 billion in commitments to strengthen communities and transform lives. I'll be talking more about the progress that we've made with My Brother's Keeper tonight in a conversation at North Carolina A&T State University. You can watch on ESPN's Facebook page at 10pm ET.
We'll also be celebrating several major new commitments supporting MBK's goals -- like nearly 50 companies signing on to our new #FirstJob Compact, committing to develop better practices to hire disconnected youth, and the Sprint Corporation's announcement that it will provide 1 million high-school students who don’t have the Internet at home with mobile devices.
If Michelle and I had a son, we’d want him to have the same thing we want for our daughters -- to grow up with a boundless sense of possibility. We'd want him to have respect for himself and for others, a commitment to hard work, and the opportunity to achieve his dreams. As Americans, that’s what we should all want for all children.
President Barack Obama
You hear about the time I went to a frat party with Vice President Biden?
No? Okay, well that’s because it didn’t actually happen. But we did make a video pretending like it happened. Why? Because we’re best pals forever. Also because we wanted to spread the word about a serious problem that’s happening on college campuses all around the country.
Did you hear about the time I went to a frat party with Vice President Biden?
No? Okay, well that’s because it didn’t actually happen. But we did make a video pretending like it happened. Why? Because we’re best pals forever. Also because we wanted to spread the word about a serious problem that’s happening on college campuses all around the country.
Here’s something I learned from the Vice President: One in five women and one in fifteen men will be sexually assaulted by the time they leave college. That’s crazy. And it’s something that none of us should be okay with or look away from. This is why the President and the Vice President started It’s On Us, a campaign to make sure everyone knows that he or she can do something to change the culture of sexual assault on campus.
We all have a responsibility to stand up and to speak out. That’s why I took the It’s On Us pledge along with over 360,000 other people who want to help prevent sexual assault on campuses -- and I don’t even go to college. So make sure to share this video with your people, then take the pledge yourself. Let’s help change campus culture so that college is fun and safe for everyone.
Thanks!
Adam Devine
Here’s something I learned from the Vice President: One in five women and one in fifteen men will be sexually assaulted by the time they leave college. That’s crazy. And it’s something that none of us should be okay with or look away from. This is why the President and the Vice President started It’s On Us, a campaign to make sure everyone knows that he or she can do something to change the culture of sexual assault on campus.
We all have a responsibility to stand up and to speak out. That’s why I took the It’s On Us pledge along with over 360,000 other people who want to help prevent sexual assault on campuses -- and I don’t even go to college. So make sure to share this video with your people, then take the pledge yourself. Let’s help change campus culture so that college is fun and safe for everyone.
Thanks!
Adam Devine
A few months ago, I received this letter from a Floridian named Sherman Chester. When Sherman was a young man, he wrote that he made some bad choices, got in over his head, and ended up with a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug charge. At Sherman's sentencing, even the judge couldn't believe he was bound by law to hand down a punishment that didn't fit the crime.
We know that Sherman's story is all too common in this country -- a country that imprisons its citizens at a rate far higher than any other. Too many men and women end up in a criminal justice system that serves up excessive punishments, especially for nonviolent drug offenses.
But this is a country that believes in second chances. So we've got to make sure that our criminal justice system works for everyone. We've got to make sure that it keeps our streets safe while also making sure that an entire class of people like Sherman isn't relegated to a life on the margins.
Last year, after he served more than 20 long years in prison, I commuted Sherman's sentence and those of many others who were serving unjust and outdated prison sentences.
And today, I'm commuting the sentences of an additional 214 men and women who are just as deserving of a second chance. Altogether, I've commuted more sentences than the past nine presidents combined. And I am not done yet.
These acts of clemency are important steps for families like Sherman's and steer our country in a better direction, but they alone won't fix our criminal justice system. We need Congress to pass meaningful federal sentencing reform that will allow us to more effectively use taxpayer dollars to protect the public.
My name is Leah Katz-Hernandez and I say the word "welcome" hundreds of times per day.
It gives me the greatest pride and joy to do that because when I say "welcome" in the West Wing of the White House, as the President’s receptionist, I know that this special place is truly accessible for all. As someone who is deaf, I know that truth deep down in my heart.
When the moment came for me to start my own career as a 21-year-old, I was not afraid to jump onto a campaign to elect "a skinny kid with a funny name." I am deaf and my deafness was not a barrier to my career. Instead, it was a spur to public service. Here's why:
As a toddler, my life changed on July 26, 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. This civil rights legislation helped increase equality for people with disabilities by making discrimination against them based on their disabilities illegal. The Americans with Disabilities Act helped make people with disabilities more visible. It helped make America -- and the American way of life -- more accessible.
And it is with this understanding of my own humanity that I grew up -- with a powerful sense of dignity. I knew that I was not less than another person, just because I am deaf.
I am part of the "ADA Generation" -- the generation that has grown up under the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I am grateful to the advocates who fought so hard to make this civil rights law a reality, improving the lives of millions.
I care deeply about ensuring that everyone’s experience at the White House is as accessible and welcoming as mine. I also know the importance of making disability visible everywhere, whether it's on the streets at curb cuts or here at the White House. That’s why it means so much to me when I see people from all walks of life come in to see the President -- be it a world leader, a school principal, or a service member.
At more than 56 million, we with disabilities make up 19 percent of the American population and are embedded deeply into the fabric of the American society. Our contributions are everywhere, including at the White House. The West Wing is filled with interesting tidbits of disability contributions throughout its history.
When President Obama took office, he made global development a core pillar of America's foreign policy -- and for good reason.
When children cannot go to school, or businesses lack reliable roads or electricity, that holds back entire economies. Where poverty and despair take root, conflict, instability, and violent extremism can flourish. Fragile and failing states can incubate or exacerbate a wide range of threats that spill across borders -- from pandemics to nuclear proliferation, human trafficking to climate change.
To President Obama, global development is not "charity." In an increasingly interconnected world, it's a crucial investment in the security and prosperity of us all.
Over the last eight years, the Obama administration has confronted some of the most daunting development and humanitarian challenges in modern history.
The President has helped reshape the U.S. approach to development by partnering with countries, global coalitions, and the engines of American innovation: corporations, foundations, universities, NGOs, and faith-based communities.
Under this leadership, we've produced real outcomes in the lives of millions of people:
We've helped over nine million farmers, food producers, and rural families adopt innovations to improve productivity, helping boost incomes by more than $800 million.
Through President Obama's Power Africa initiative, we've supported 4,300 megawatts worth of projects that are expected to generate over five million new connections to electricity.
Tens of millions more boys and girls are in school.
Last night, law enforcement officers in Dallas, Texas who were keeping people safe during a peaceful protest were targeted and attacked.
This morning, President Obama offered a statement on these tragic attacks and made it clear that we as a nation stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas.
"I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas ... Let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done."
With your understanding, I want to begin with a few words about the situation back in the United States, specifically the situation in Dallas, Texas.
My team has been keeping me updated throughout the morning of the evening in Dallas. I spoke this morning with Mayor Rawlings of Dallas to convey the deepest condolences of the American people. I told him that the federal government will provide whatever assistance Dallas may need as it deals with this tremendous tragedy.
We still don’t know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Police in Dallas were on duty, doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests. These law enforcement officers were targeted, and nearly a dozen officers were shot. Five were killed. Other officers and at least one civilian were wounded -- some are in serious condition, and we are praying for their recovery.
As I told Mayor Rawlings, I believe that I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas. According to police, there are multiple suspects. We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations. But let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.
I will have more to say about this as the facts become more clear. For now, let me just say that even as yesterday I spoke about our need to be concerned, as all Americans, about racial disparities in our criminal justice system, I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion. I also indicated the degree to which we need to be supportive of those officers who do their job each and every day, protecting us and protecting our communities.
Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices that they make for us. We also know that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic. And in the days ahead, we’re going to have to consider those realities as well.
In the meantime, today our focus is on the victims and their families. They are heartbroken. The entire city of Dallas is grieving. Police across America, which is a tight-knit family, feels this loss to their core. And we're grieving with them. I’d ask all Americans to say a prayer for these officers and their families. Keep them in your thoughts. And as a nation, let’s remember to express our profound gratitude to our men and women in blue -- not just today, but every day.
Today, President Obama designated a new national monument at the historic site of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City to honor the movement for LGBT equality.
Here's what you need to know about America's newest national monument:
1. This is our first national monument to honor the struggle for LGBT rights.
The Stonewall National Monument will protect the area where, on June 28, 1969, a community’s uprising sparked the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States.
In the early morning hours of that day, a riot broke out in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, one of New York City's best-known LGBT bars at the time. The nearby Christopher Park served as a gathering place, refuge, and platform for the community to voice its demand for LGBT civil rights.
After the Stonewall Uprising, the quest for LGBT equality evolved from protests and small gatherings into a nationwide movement.
2. President Obama has protected more land and water than any president in history -- and he's sought to protect places that help create a more diverse and inclusive National Park System.
Earlier this year, President Obama designated the first monument to honor the struggle for women's equality. And under his leadership, a number of LGBT sites have been designated as national historic landmarks or listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
3. This is just the latest action President Obama has taken to advance justice and equality for all, including LGBT Americans.
Thanks to President Obama, gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans can now serve openly in the armed forces. LGBT Americans are protected by an expanded federal hate crimes law and they can no longer be turned away by insurance companies because of who they love.
And under President Obama's leadership, we now live in a country where all of our marriages and families are recognized as equal under the law.
When I was 20, living in my mom's house, the new sound of hip hop was breaking out from the streets to the stores. Records were flying off the shelves, and although my community was underserved in resource, we were rich with hustle. I knew it was time for a brand that represented this rise and movement -- a brand that was "For Us By Us."
But I was broke, with no guidance on how to make my dream a reality. So I started sewing and stitching at night. I made 40 hats -- and my brand FUBU was born. At the time, I didn't know how to access capital or source material. I didn't know how to build a business.
So I got my neighbor, L.L. Cool J, to take a photo wearing a FUBU hat. I spent my last dollars mailing that photo to trade buyers. It was my big break. Suddenly, every major music artist was begging to wear my swag and I amassed over $300,000 in orders. To meet demand, my three partners and I transformed my childhood home into a full-on clothing factory. I learned to exercise what I call "The Power of Broke." By harnessing that power and that drive, I managed to turn FUBU into a multi-billion dollar iconic brand.
The challenges I faced and the journey I took mirror the potential of millions of young entrepreneurs here and around the world. They have the drive and spirit to imagine, innovate, and create -- but we must all come together in order to keep lifting them up.
That's why, in 2015, I became a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE), working with the White House to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs across the globe, providing opportunities and pathways to capital and skills, and helping to inspire success in others.
This year I am proud to travel with President Obama to the seventh annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Stanford University. With over 700 entrepreneurs from 170 countries and 350 investors in attendance, we're bringing the world to Silicon Valley and Silicon Valley to the world.
I'm excited to meet people like Sumana Shrestha, who started Medication for Nepal, an organization that uses technology to tackle inefficiencies and high health care costs, ensuring medical access for the most vulnerable populations in her country. And Evans Wadongo from Kenya, the co-founder of GreenWize Energy, which is advancing cutting edge African-designed renewable energy products and solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
National parks are an American invention. They are treasures in our national inheritance -- millions of acres of public lands and waterways -- that one generation passes on to the next. These beautiful spaces offer adventures for our children, essential protection for our wildlife, and support for local economies.
Yet, we aren't entitled to them. Our public lands need our protection -- they need our dedication to their upkeep and our commitment to their expansion.
And it falls on the shoulders of each new generation to carry on this stunning inheritance, because even though our national parks are vital to our future, the consequences of climate change are becoming more evident every day.
Not only are they celebrating the National Parks' 100th anniversary, they're highlighting the critical role our parks will play in America's next century.
That's also why President Obama has taken unprecedented action to invest in America's natural resources, setting aside more public lands and water in his two terms than any president in American history. He is America's most prolific conservationist -- and he's not done yet.
Here's what you need to know about President Obama's historic conservation record:
Protected more than 265 million acres of America's public lands and waters -- more than any other president in history.
Dedicated unprecedented attention and resources to restoring iconic places like the Chesapeake Bay, California Bay-Delta, Great Lakes, and Everglades.
Designated more than 2 million acres of federal wilderness and protected thousands of miles of trails and more than one thousand miles of rivers.
Oversaw more wildlife recoveries under the Endangered Species Act than under any previous administration.
Launched Every Kid in a Park, which gives fourth graders and their families free access to parks.
Fast forward 13 years to this afternoon, when I found myself getting on a conference call with Vice President Joe Biden and asking hundreds of Americans around the country if they'd be willing to host conversations in their communities about how we can expedite the pace of cancer progress.
Here's how it all came to be:
Throughout my experience with cancer -- from my initial diagnosis to the surgeries and procedures that followed -- I felt completely out of control. I was in a continuous state of recovery, and never in a place of victory.
I lost hope countless times during my cancer treatments. I felt that life had treated me unfairly and that I deserved better. It's what millions of patients and their families feel every day. Daily points of devastating despair and fear. That their illness will not be cured. That they will never become healthy again.
With the support of family and friends, I beat my illness and rediscovered the hope that I had once lost. But not everyone has the support I had. And no one should feel alone in a fight for their lives. I decided to dedicate my life to helping those affected by this terrible disease.
And I’m proud to say that my job is to help organize communities around the country to make sure every person whose life cancer has touched has a part to play.
On June 29, the Vice President and Dr. Biden are convening a Cancer Moonshot Summit. It will mark the first time that individuals and organizations in communities around the country -- patients, survivors, researchers, physicians, business leaders, philanthropists and more -- will convene under the national charge to double the rate of progress to end cancer as we know it.
Reflecting on my own experience with cancer, here’s what I’ve learned:
Health care is not just about medicine and treatment, but more importantly about people who are making real-time, human decisions. And I’m grateful that President Obama and Vice President Biden have taken a stand to make sure our health care system works better for the actual people who rely on it the most.
When you talk to patient advocates for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or diabetes, they’ll often mention the lack of political will from those elected to lead us. These issues are complicated, and incredibly personal for millions of us. And creating lasting change starts with creating an open dialogue between patients and the communities charged with treating and researching their diseases.
The Vice President is boldly declaring this Administration’s political will with his Moonshot Initiative.
Want to be a part of it?
Now is a great time to meet up with other supporters in your community to get ready for the work ahead. Join your fellow cancer patient advocates, researchers, community leaders, and health care professionals as we share updates and discuss efforts to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.
Just three weeks into my presidency, I made a promise to the people of Elkhart, Indiana.
It was the first city I visited as President. Folks there had been hit harder by the recession than almost anywhere else in America. The unemployment rate was on its way to nearly twenty percent. Companies that had sustained that community for years were shedding jobs at an alarming speed -- and hardworking families were losing their homes and health care along with those jobs.
When I spoke to the people of Elkhart in February of 2009, I promised them that if we worked together, we could pull that community and this country out of the depths of recession -- that we could not only recover, but put ourselves on a better, stronger course.
Today, thanks to the hard work of people in Elkhart and in communities across the country, America has recovered from crisis and we’re on the cusp of resurgence.
The story of Elkhart's recovery is the story of America's recovery.
Today, Elkhart's manufacturing industry is back, and the town has regained nearly all of the jobs it lost during the downturn. The unemployment rate is lower than it was before the recession, and lower than the national average. In Indiana, more people have health insurance, and fewer homeowners are underwater.
This progress is thanks to the effort and determination of Americans like you. And it’s a result of the choices we made as a nation.
We still face some tough economic challenges, there’s no doubt about it. And all of us have to make some very important decisions about where we go from here.
“A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity and respect.”
Part of what he meant by that, I think, is that without the ability to provide for your family, you’re deprived of your dignity.
That’s the fundamental spirit behind a big change our Administration made today to modernize our overtime rules: Making sure hard work is rewarded with fair pay.
The change we’re making today is straightforward:
Right now, you're guaranteed overtime if you’re an hourly worker, but if you’re salaried, you’re only automatically guaranteed overtime if you make less than $23,660. If you’re a manager on salary and you work an extra 10, 20, 30 hours a week -- you often don’t get paid a dime more for those additional hours. That’s simply wrong.
Starting in December, we're making sure that more workers get paid fairly for the overtime hours that they work. With this new rule, we’re increasing the cutoff for automatic overtime for salaried workers to $47,476 -- most salaried workers making less than $47,476 will be guaranteed overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week.
Companies will have a choice: Pay their workers for the extra hours they put in, or cap their hours at 40 hours a week. For over 4 million workers, this change means they’ll either get a bump in pay or will get more time with their families if they work more than 40 hours a week. Or more time to go back to school or get additional job training.
Today, I’ll head to Columbus, Ohio to visit a business, an ice cream company called Jeni’s, with 600 employees around the country. They’ve got a management that understands what “fair” means. They’ve already begun making changes to guarantee overtime to some of their managers.
The law since the 1930s has said that anyone working more than 40 hours a week is working overtime. And if you’re working overtime, you should get paid for it. We can’t allow folks with families to support to work long hours without being paid fairly for it.
It’s not right. So today, we’re doing what we can to fix it.
The President and I have been laser-focused on rebuilding the basic middle-class bargain that used to exist, and that both parties have signed on to. What it comes down to is that if you contribute to the success of the company that employs you, you should get paid fairly for it. Because of the Administration’s efforts to rebuild that basic bargain, the economy has gone from crisis to recovery to resurgence. Wages are on track to rise this year by over 3 percent. Today’s expansion of overtime protections will build on this momentum.
That’s how you increase access to the middle class. But we know we have more work to do and we’re going to keep going right through the finish line.
When the President and Vice President were first elected to the White House in 2008, I told my husband Joe that I wanted to continue teaching. Nearly eight years later, here I am - still teaching English full-time at a community college in northern Virginia.
As a lifelong educator, I am proud to be part of an administration that is committed to investing in our students and restoring the promise of the American education system.
From day one, we have made education a priority - from investing in early childhood education to ensuring that more students graduate high school, and from making college more affordable to strengthening partnerships between community colleges and employers to create the next generation of skilled workers.
Today, Joe and I are visiting the Community College of Philadelphia as part of the#HeadsUpAmerica day of action to highlight the progress we've made on free community college programs nationwide and to announce new grants to create and expand tuition-free training at community colleges.
At least 27 new free community college programs have launched in states, communities, and individual community colleges since the President's 2015 State of the Union address. And 17 other states have introduced legislation to make community college free statewide. These programs will help to provide millions of responsible students with access to higher education and the opportunity for a more prosperous life.
We'll also celebrate the strides we've made together to increase the number of college graduates, make college more affordable, and expand college opportunities for all students. Tomorrow, as part of her Reach Higher initiative, the First Lady will be celebrating College Signing Day in New York City, joining in the 1,000 College Signing Day events happening around the country.
To talk about the progress we've made together to make student loans more affordable, like helping more Americans cap monthly loan payments through plans like the President's Pay As You Earn plan, we'll host student reporters from around the nation for our first-ever White House College Reporter Day.
On Friday, as part of my Joining Forces initiative, I'll visit a high school in Florida to announce the completion of a commitment to support military-connected children and improve STEM education in military-connected schools.
And next week, the President will host the National Teacher of the Year and great educators from classrooms across the country to thank them for their hard work and dedication and celebrate their contributions to the progress we've made in improving education over the last seven years. I've also invited the 2016 State Teachers of the Year to the Vice President's Residence at the Naval Observatory for a reception in honor of this accomplished group of teachers.
As a teacher, I believe education is the foundation for building a better life. While our administration has made strides to make education a reality for more Americans, we're going to keep working (and teaching) to make sure all Americans have the opportunity to learn the skills they need to succeed, grow into careers they love, and provide a brighter future for their families.
