Remarks by the First Lady at the Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013 Bill Signing

The White House

Office of the First Lady

State House
Annapolis, Maryland 

1:55 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Good afternoon.  It is truly a pleasure to be here in Maryland today. 

But before we get started, I want to take a moment to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Boston.  My husband continues to monitor the situation, and he has directed the full resources of the federal government to assist state and local authorities as they investigate this horrific act. 

And what happened on Monday was a reminder that in times of crisis, here in America we respond with courage, and grit, and selflessness.  That’s exactly what we saw from the people of Boston, and from all those who rushed to aid the victims, especially the police officers and firefighters, the first responders, and our men and women in uniform.

And that is the spirit of Boston, but it is also the spirit of this country.  And in many ways, that’s the spirit of service and sacrifice that we are here to honor today. 

So I want to thank Governor O’Malley for hosting us, but also for his tremendous leadership for the state of Maryland and for all of his efforts on behalf of our troops, veterans, and military families.

I also want to thank Lieutenant Governor Brown; the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary Mabus; and all of the servicemembers from Fort Meade and the United States Naval Academy who are here with us today. 

And I’d like to recognize all of the Maryland state legislators:  Attorney General Gansler, Mayor Cohen, the representatives we have here from veterans service organizations and the University of Maryland, and to all of the military family members who are joining us today.  Welcome, and thank you for being here. 

And, finally, I want to thank Senior Chief Hite and his wonderful family who I got to meet -- Mom and Dad are here, and his handsome son, who I will embarrass -- (laughter) -- but we are proud of you all.  But I want to thank you all for your service to this country, because the truth is, is that every family member serves, and every time I meet a servicemember, a veteran, I don’t just thank him or her, I think children and parents and grandparents and brothers and sisters, because everyone in some way is part of that service.  And thank you for sharing your story with us today.

Two years ago, Jill Biden and I launched Joining Forces in large part because we’d heard too many stories like that of Senior Chief Hite’s.  We had heard the stories of military spouses like Janelle Gray, whose husband serves in the Air Force at Fort Meade. 

Janelle was a professional counselor for seven years in Minnesota and North Dakota.  But when she and her husband were transferred here to Maryland, she found out that she’d either have to wait three years or take additional coursework and get extra training before she could get back to work.

And then there were all the veterans we’d heard from -- the Army medics who couldn’t get jobs as EMTs; the Marine welders who couldn’t land a manufacturing job here; or the convoy drivers who couldn’t get hired to drive a semi.

Earlier today, I was over at the U.S. Naval Academy, and I met with some wonderful individuals who are here today in the healthcare professions who have served this country for years -- even decades -- and have mastered so many highly technical, high-demand skills.

But even with all that experience, these men and women wouldn’t even be considered for entry-level jobs in their fields because they didn’t have the right civilian credentials.  And all of this is happening after we have already asked so much of our troops. 

We have asked them to risk their lives in combat, manage dozens of peers, operate complicated machinery, oversee millions of dollars of assets, and save lives on the battlefield.  And then, when they come home, we’re also asking them to repeat months of training for skills they’ve already mastered.  So we have to ask ourselves:  How does this make sense? 

And the same is true for our military spouses.  We’re asking them to juggle a full-time job and their family’s finances, and the entire household all alone while their spouse is deployed overseas.  And we’re asking them to move their families to new communities and new states every couple of years.  And after they do all that, we’re also asking them to wait months and pay hundreds of dollars in fees just to be able to continue their careers?

That’s just not right.  And let me be clear -- this is about more than just eliminating a few bureaucratic headaches for these men and women.  This is about improving the financial security for thousands of military families.  It’s about giving veterans and their spouses an opportunity to build their careers and create a better future for their children.

So with all of that on the line, we knew we had to get this fixed.  And that meant we had to turn to state leaders like so many of you here in this room, because you all are the only ones who can make an impact on these licensing issues.

And I’m here today not just because Annapolis is beautiful -- which it is, and I wish I could stay and have ice cream and crab cakes -- (laughter) -- but I would clog up the city.  I will be back.  (Laughter.)  But I’m here today because here in Maryland, you all have done just that.

You have come together to take a bold step forward on behalf of our troops, veterans, and military families.  And by doing so, your state is joining a growing list of states that are addressing this issue.

Since last year, when I spoke to our nation’s governors about the issues facing military spouses, the number of states that have passed laws to help those spouses has more than tripled -- from 11 to 36.   And since we spoke with the governors again at the end of February of this year, this time about veterans issues, 13 states, including Maryland, have acted to help our veterans earn credentials.

And let me tell you, your bill here in Maryland is one of the best bills that we have seen in this entire country.  You all are tackling three big issues all at once.  You’re helping our veterans obtain professional credentials.  You’re helping them earn college credit.  And you’re making it easier for military spouses to continue their careers as they transfer to your state. 

So I want to say a huge thank you to Governor O’Malley for his leadership on this effort and to all of the legislators who have made our military families a priority.  You all didn’t just ask yourselves, can we do this.  You asked yourselves, how can we do it right; how can we serve our men and women in uniform as well as they’ve served us. 

But I also want to make an important point here:  This is not simply about patriotism and repaying our debt to our servicemen and women.  This is also about putting highly skilled individuals to work in communities all across Maryland and throughout the country.  It’s about strengthening our hospitals and our schools, and making our businesses more productive and dynamic.

That’s why the bill that’s being signed into law today is so important.  And I want you to know that we’re working at the federal level to address these issues as well.  For example, my husband has championed programs to help our troops get their civilian credentials in areas like manufacturing, medicine, and transportation before they leave the Armed Forces.  And I want to recognize the Navy, in particular, for leading the way on this issue with sailors earning more than 80,000 credentials in the last six years. 

So all of these efforts couldn’t be more important as we look at what’s coming in the years ahead.  With the Iraq war over, the war in Afghanistan winding down, more than a million servicemembers are going to be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning back to civilian life.  And that comes on top of the hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses already out there looking for work. 

So even though we’ve made a lot of progress on veterans employment over the past few years, as a country, we still have a lot more work to do.  And that means we need to redouble our efforts across the board.  We need more businesses to make big, bold commitments to hire and train our veterans and military spouses.  We need more hospitals and colleges and employers from every sector to recognize our veterans’ and military spouses’ unique skills and experiences, and give them a fair shot at a job.  We need every single state that has not already acted on these licensing and credentialing issues to follow Maryland’s lead and clear away every unnecessary obstacle facing our veterans and military spouses. 

And while these bills are a wonderful first step, we can’t rest until we’ve worked with our licensing boards, colleges, and universities to make sure these bills are fully implemented so that our veterans and military spouses get the credentials and the jobs they need.

And if we all step up in this way, if we all keep coming together on this issue, we will be sending a powerful message of love and support that makes a real, concrete difference for our military families.  We’ll be helping them build their careers, support their families, and find new ways to serve this country, which they so desperately want to do.  And that’s what Joining Forces is about.  And that’s why we’re not going to stop working until every state has enacted legislation to address these issues.  We’re not going to stop until every single military family in America gets the honor and support they’ve earned.

And so to all the military families here today, I want you to know from the bottom of my heart that we are going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.  We are in this for the long haul.  And we are bound and determined to repay your service and sacrifice with service and sacrifice of our own.

So to our servicemembers and military families, thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you so much for everything you have done for this country, and everything you will continue to do in the years ahead.  And to all the elected officials, to the leaders from the University of Maryland, to all the people of this great state, thank you for stepping up to show your support for these brave men and women.

I look forward to continuing our work together in the months and years ahead.  Thank you, God bless, and let’s get some signing done.  (Applause.)

END
2:05 P.M. EDT

President Obama speaks at in interfaith service dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed at the Boston Marathon bombing.

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Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the Violence Against Women Act

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Interior Department
Washington, D.C.

2:16 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Diane.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Some of you in the audience who are survivors know how much courage it takes to do what Diane did.  (Applause.)  Some people who don't know will say, well, she’s just recounting what happened.  But every single time you stand and recount what happened, it brings it all back.  It brings it all back like a very bad nightmare.  But your speaking out, Diane, and so many survivors like you are literally saving the lives of so many other women who, God willing, will be able to avoid the abuse that you had to put up with.

I want to thank all the advocates who are here today.  I got a chance to meet in my office with some of you a little bit earlier -- not only those on the stage who I, again, had a chance to meet with, but the many women out in the audience, as I look out and see some familiar faces like Pat Rouse and Ellie Smeal and Paulette Sullivan Moore from -- I’m being parochial -- Paulette Sullivan Moore from my home state, and so many others.  (Applause.) 

Those of you who have been around a while with me know that I quote my father all the time who literally would say, the greatest sin that could be committed, the cardinal sin of all sins was the abuse of power, and the ultimate abuse of power is for someone physically stronger and bigger to raise their hand and strike and beat someone else.  In most cases that tends to be a man striking a woman, or a man or woman striking a child.  That's the fundamental premise and the overarching reason why John Conyers and I and others started so many years ago to draft the legislation called the Violence Against Women Act.

It passed 19 years ago, and that's why we shortly thereafter instituted a hotline where women in distress could call for help. I remember, John, when we did that hotline, it was like, well, it will be useful, but I’m not so sure how much it will be used.  Well, the truth of the matter is it’s been used a lot and it’s saved a lot of lives.  Over 2 million women have had the courage -- the courage -- to try to get out of earshot of their abuser, escape from the prison of their own home, and pick up that phone and call to a line that you had no idea who on the other end was going to answer, and to say, I’m in trouble.  Can you help me?  Can you help me?

I love those men who would say when we started this about why don't they just leave.  Well, if they had one-third the courage that those women -- those 2 million women had who have picked up the phone and called, not knowing what to expect, it would be a whole lot better nation.

We’ve built a network of shelters that are immediately available to women in need because we found out that the vast majority of children who are homeless on the street -- Nancy knows and others -- were there because their mothers were abused. Imagine fleeing for your life with only the clothes on your back and your child in your arms.  The shelter was their only lifeline, and it’s worked.

We also have specialized law enforcement units with trained prosecutors, victim advocates, court personnel who understand the unique challenges of the access.  Because of all of you in the audience that are here today, we’ve been able to train judges and train intake officers, so when a frightened woman shows up at the family court and says to the intake officer, “I want to tell you” -- “Speak up, will you?”  “Well, I just -- my” -- and they turn around and walk away, because there’s only a very brief window, as all of you know, a very brief window, again, after a woman screws up the courage -- the courage -- to ask for help.

All these links in the chain have made a difference in the lives of women.  It’s one woman, one girl, one person at a time, one case at a time.  And you providers know that better than anyone. 

With all the law’s success, there are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence, who are still prisoners in their own home; too many victims that we have to mourn.  We knew from the outset in 1994 that there was much more we could have done at the beginning if we were able to get the votes.  But we did what was necessary and important, but we knew more had to be done to reduce domestic violence, domestic violence homicides, to provide new tools, as was just spoken to, to protect Native American women, to address the perplexing rate of dating violence among young women, and so much more.

But because of the people on this stage and in this room, every time we reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, we improved it.  Every single time, we’ve improved it.  (Applause.)

And we did this again.  First, we’ve given jurisdiction to tribal courts over those who abuse women on reservations regardless of whether or not they -- (applause.)  We’re providing more resources to the states so they can be trained as to how to collect evidence, acquire convictions, particularly in prosecutions for rape.  We’re going to increase the use of proven models to reduce domestic violence homicides. 

We’ve all focused on the tragic gun violence that has been in the news lately, but I want to point something out to you.  From 2009 to 2012, 40 percent of the mass shootings in America, other than the celebrated ones you’ve seen -- 40 percent where there’s four or more people who have been shot, the target has been a former intimate partner or a close family member. 

So they go into the office, just like that young man who -- or woman who stood in front of you when your husband came with a loaded pistol to shoot you.  Forty percent are a consequence of domestic violence. 

We created a strong -- strong -- anti-violence program.  Campuses will have more tools to educate students about sexual violence.  (Applause.) 

So when Congress passed this law that the President will sign today, they just didn’t renew what I consider a sacred commitment to protect our mothers, our daughters, our sisters.  They strengthened that commitment.  And I want to thank them.  I hope I don’t leave anybody out.  Starting off with my old buddy, Pat Leahy, who chairs the committee.  Pat, thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)  And Mike Crapo.  Mike, this wouldn’t have happened if you had not stepped up.  (Applause.)  Lisa Murkowski is not here.  But my friend who -- I don’t want to get her in trouble, but I know she really likes me because I like her a lot -- (laughter) -- Senator Collins.  Seriously, it was Republicans coming and standing up and saying this has to be done in the Senate.  So we owe you.  We owe you big.  (Applause.)

And by the way, if you ever want a partner to get anything important done, call Nancy Pelosi.  Call Nancy Pelosi.  (Applause.)  And Steny Hoyer, and Congresswoman Moore -- (applause -- and my old buddy -- I hope I’m not leaving anybody out here -- but my old buddy, John Conyers.  (Applause.)  I’m sure I’m leaving someone out, for which I apologize.

Look, we all know we have a lot more to do, but we’re going to continue to make progress.  And one of the reasons we’re going to continue to make progress is we’re going to have for at least three more years the President of the United States, my friend, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody!  Please, everybody have a seat, have a seat. 

I want to thank all of you for being here.  I want to thank Secretary Salazar, my great friend, for letting us into the building.  (Laughter.)  Make sure, everybody, pick up their stray soda cans and stuff afterwards.  (Laughter.) 

I want to thank Attorney General Holder for joining us.  He’s doing a great job.  (Applause.) 

We usually host these bill signings over at the White House. But there were just too many of you -- (laughter) -- who helped to make this happen.  (Applause.)  And you all deserve to be a part of this moment.  I want to thank everybody on this stage.  Joe just mentioned the extraordinary work that each and every one of these leaders -- both advocates as well as legislators --

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I left out Congressman Tom Cole.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, there you go.  Give Tom a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

But everybody on this stage worked extraordinarily hard.  Most of all, though, this is your day.  This is the day of the advocates; the day of the survivors.  This is your victory.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Mr. President!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.) 

And this victory shows that when the American people make their voices heard, Washington listens.  (Applause.)  So I want to join Joe in thanking all the members of Congress from both parties who came together, got this bill across the finish line. 

I want to say a special thanks to Pat Leahy and Mike Crapo. (Applause.)  Thank you, guys, for your leadership.  (Applause.)  And I want to give much love to Gwen Moore, who worked so hard on this.  (Applause.) 

And I also want to take a minute before I begin to thank the Senators who, just a few hours ago, took another big step towards sensible gun safety reforms by advancing a federal gun trafficking bill.  That’s real progress.  (Applause.)  Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent legislation to the Senate floor that would crack down on folks who buy guns only to turn around and funnel them to dangerous criminals. 

It’s a bill named, in part, for Hadiya Pendleton, who was murdered in Chicago earlier this year.  You'll remember I told this story about how she had marched in the Inauguration Parade, and just a few weeks later had been gunned down about a mile away from my house. 

So I urge the Senate to give that bill a vote.  I urge the House to follow suit.  And I urge Congress to move on other areas that have support of the American people -- from requiring universal background checks to getting assault weapons off our streets -- because we need to stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals, and because Hadiya’s family and too many other families really do deserve a vote.  (Applause.)

Finally, I want to thank Joe Biden for being such an outstanding Vice President.  (Applause.)  That's right, you can stand for Joe.  Stand for Joe.  (Applause.)  Give it up for Joe Biden.  (Applause.)  Joe is a hardworking Vice President.

AUDIENCE:  Yes, he is! 

THE PRESIDENT:  And he told me when he agreed -- when I asked him to be Vice President, he said, well, I don't want to just be sitting around.  (Laughter.)  I said, I promise you I won't let you just sit around.  (Laughter.)  And he has not.  He has played a key role in forging the gun safety reforms that I talked about, largely by working closely with survivors of gun violence and their families.  He forged the Violence Against Women Act 20 years ago -- never forgetting who it was all about. (Applause.)  

So on behalf of everybody here and all the lives that you've had a positive impact and touched through the Violence Against Women Act -- the survivors who are alive today because of this law, the women who are no longer hiding in fear because of this law, the girls who are growing up aware of their right to be free from abuse because of this law -- (applause) -- on behalf of them and all their families, I want to thank Joe Biden for making this one of the causes of his career.  (Applause.) 

Now, as Joe said earlier, we’ve come a long way.  Back when Joe wrote this law, domestic abuse was too often seen as a private matter, best hidden behind closed doors.  Victims too often stayed silent or felt that they had to live in shame, that somehow they had done something wrong.  Even when they went to the hospital or the police station, too often they were sent back home without any real intervention or support.  They felt trapped, isolated.  And as a result, domestic violence too often ended in greater tragedy.

So one of the great legacies of this law is that it didn’t just change the rules; it changed our culture.  It empowered people to start speaking out.  It made it okay for us, as a society, to talk about domestic abuse.  It made it possible for us, as a country, to address the problem in a real and meaningful way.  And it made clear to victims that they were not alone -- that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side.  

And today, because members of both parties worked together, we're able to renew that commitment.  Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is something I called for in my State of the Union address.  And when I see how quick it got done, I'm feeling -- (applause) -- makes me feel optimistic.  (Applause.)

Because of this bill, we’ll keep in place all the protections and services that Joe described, and, as he said, we’ll expand them to cover even more women.  Because this is a country where everybody should be able to pursue their own measure of happiness and live their lives free from fear, no matter who you are, no matter who you love.  (Applause.)  That's got to be our priority.  That’s what today is about.  (Applause.)

Today is about the millions of women -- the victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault -- who are out there right now looking for a lifeline, looking for support.  Because of this bill, they’ll continue to have access to all the services that Joe first helped establish 19 years ago:  the national hotline, network of shelters, protection orders that carry across state lines.  And because of this bill, we’re also expanding housing assistance so that no woman has to choose between a violent home and no home at all.  That’s what today is all about.  (Applause.) 
Today is about all the law enforcement officials -- like Police Chief Jim Johnson -- (applause) -- they’re the first to respond when a victim calls for help.  And because of this bill, we’re continuing all the training and support that’s proven so effective in bridging some gaps that were in actual enforcement of the law so that we can actually bring more offenders to justice.  And we’re giving our law enforcement better tools to investigate cases of rape, which remains a consistently underreported crime in our country.  Helping police officers deliver on the most important part of their job -- preventing harm and saving lives – that’s what today is all about.

Today is about women like Diane.  I’m so grateful Diane shared her story.  That takes great courage.  (Applause.)  And tragically, it is a common story. 

I know we’ve got tribal leaders here today, and I want to thank all of you for fighting so hard on behalf of your people -- (applause) -- to make this bill a reality.  (Applause.) 

Indian Country has some of the highest rates of domestic abuse in America.  And one of the reasons is that when Native American women are abused on tribal lands by an attacker who is not Native American, the attacker is immune from prosecution by tribal courts.  Well, as soon as I sign this bill that ends.  (Applause.)  That ends.  That ends.  (Applause.)

Tribal governments have an inherent right to protect their people, and all women deserve the right to live free from fear.  And that is what today is all about.  (Applause.)

Today is about all the Americans who face discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity when they seek help.  (Applause.) 

So I want to thank Sharon Stapel, who’s here -- where did she go?  There she is right there -- (applause) -- for the work she’s doing -- the great work she’s doing with the Anti-Violence Project.  But Sharon and all the other advocates who are focused on this community, they can’t do it alone.  And then now they won’t have to.  That’s what today is all about.  That's what today is all about.  (Applause.)
Today is about the women who come to Rosie Hidalgo looking for support -- (applause) -- immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse.  I mean, imagine the dilemma for so many -- if your immigration status is tied to a husband who beats you or abuses you, if you’re an undocumented immigrant, you may feel there’s too much to lose by coming forward.  The Violence Against Women Act already had protections so that victims could call the police without fear of deportation, and those protections saved lives.  And because we fought hard to keep them in place, they remain a lifeline for so many women.  That’s part of what today is all about.  (Applause.)

Today is about young women like Tye, who was brought into the sex trade by a neighbor when she was 12 years old.  Tye was rescued with the help of an organization led by trafficking survivors.  Today, she’s enrolled in college.  She’s working full-time to help at-risk girls stay out of the sex trade.  (Applause.)  Couldn’t be prouder of her.  So proud of her.  (Applause.)  So with this bill, we reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to help more girls turn out like Tye.  That’s what today is all about.  (Applause.)

So today is about all the survivors, all the advocates who are standing on this stage.  But it’s also about the millions more they represent -- that you represent.  It’s about our commitment as a country to address this problem -- in every corner of America, every community, every town, every big city -- as long as it takes. 

And we’ve made incredible progress since 1994.  But we cannot let up -- not when domestic violence still kills three women a day.  Not when one in five women will be a victim of rape in their lifetime.  Not when one in three women is abused by a partner. 

So I promise you -- not just as your President, but as a son, and a husband, and a father -- I’m going to keep at this. I know Vice President Biden is going to keep at it.  My administration is going to keep at it for as long as it takes. 

And I know that all the advocates up here, all the legislators -- Republican and Democrat -- who supported this, I know they could not be prouder of the work that they’ve done together.  And I think I speak for all of them when we say we could not have done it without you. 

So with that, let me sign this bill.  (Applause.)

(The bill is signed.)

END
2:40 P.M. EST

In his weekly address, President Obama says that businesses have created jobs every month for three years straight – nearly 6.4 million altogether, and have added 246,000 new jobs in February. We must keep this momentum going, and that’s why the President recently met with Republican leaders to discuss how we can replace the harmful, arbitrary budget cuts, called the “sequester,” with balanced deficit reduction.

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