MRS. OBAMA:  How are you guys doing? 

CHILDREN:  Good!

MRS. OBAMA:  Is it hot enough out here?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  But you can handle it, right?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Because we’re going to get moving!

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, first, let me thank a few people, because I’m not going to talk long, because I’m ready to work.  I’m going to be out there running with you guys, all right, so don't be too hard on me.  All right?

First, let’s thank Commissioner Goodell and Coach Dungy for being here and for giving us those great words.  (Applause.)  And we want to thank all our NFL players.  Right?  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

And there are a couple of other people who are here who I want to recognize.  There’s Representative Joseph Cao, who’s here, Mayor -- the mayor is here, Mayor Landrieu is here.  Say hey to the mayor!

CHILDREN:  Hey!

MRS. OBAMA:  And I think his wife, Cheryl, is here, too.  Hey, First Lady!  (Applause.)  You got a “What’s happening, First Lady” right here.  And to the other members of the Louisiana state legislature who came out today, you guys, let’s give them all a round of applause.  (Applause.)

     And there is somebody who couldn’t be here today because they’re gearing up for a big game tomorrow because it’s the start of the NFL season, right?  We’re all excited about that.  But this guy is somebody that you may have heard of.  He’s not only a Super Bowl MVP, but he’s been a wonderful help to me and the President because he’s the co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, and Sports, and Nutrition.  And I think you guys kind of like this guy.  Who am I talking about?

CHILDREN:  Drew Brees!

MRS. OBAMA:  Absolutely right.  Mr. Brees!  He couldn’t be here because he’s getting ready, but let me tell you, with folks like Drew, back in February, we started this program called “Let’s Move.”  And “Let’s Move” is a nationwide initiative where we want to end childhood obesity in a generation, so that kids born today grow up at a healthy weight.  Does that make sense?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  We did this because of you all.  We did all of this because of you.  Can you believe that?  We’re here, all these players are here -- look at all this press. They’re here because of you!  Is it exciting?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Because we want you guys to grow up strong and we want you guys to grow up healthy, because the truth is, is that you can be smart, you can be funny, but if you’re not in good health, it’s going to be a hard road to go.  And it’s tough to hang out there and play with your friends, it’s hard to keep up in school if you’re not healthy.  And certainly if any of you ever wants to do anything as amazing as be a professional athlete, you’ve got to be healthy when you’re young.  And we want to make sure that each and every one of the kids in this country has that opportunity.  That's the kind of future that we want for all of you.

That’s why, three years ago, the folks here at the NFL started “Play 60.”  They were leading the way before anybody -- before we started talking about this at the White House.  “Play 60” was one of the signature programs of the NFL.  They knew back then the importance of tackling the issue of childhood obesity. 

And all of us at the White House wanted to team up with them.  So the President invited a bunch of NFL players and a lot of the Saints to the White House to support “Play 60.”  And I don't know if you saw some of the commercials, but Drew Brees is actually throwing the President a slow motion pass, and he catches it.  Anybody see that?  Yeah, yeah, yeah -- not very impressive.  (Laughter.) 

You got a question?  What’s your question, young man?

Q    Am I on TV?

MRS. OBAMA:  You are on TV right now.  Turn around.  Get your moment in the sun.  (Applause and cheers.)

All right now, settle down, turn around.  Sit down. 

So that means when you all are playing today when you’re catching those passes and we’re doing the drills, you’re going to be on TV.  The newspapers are here.  So you’re going to be showing kids around the country what it means to keep moving.  So you all are the model for today.

But the NFL, in addition to working with the White House, they’re working with a bunch of other people -- the National Dairy Council, and that's the organization they worked with to work on this program called “Fuel Up to Play 60.”  As the Commissioner and Coach Dungy said, it’s not just enough that you exercise, but you also have to watch what you put in your body.  You can’t live on soda and chips and all that.  You can’t.  Sorry.  If you could, I tell you, I would.  But you can’t.  You’ve got to have vegetables and fruits. 

And so this partnership is helping to make sure that, as Coach Dungy said, you’re building a well-rounded body -- a good mind, a good heart, that you’re good to people, you’re good to your friends, but you also take care of yourself.  So there’s a lot going on, and we’re doing it all for you. 

So here’s one question.  I’ve got one question for you guys before we get started.  Did you know that if you follow “Play 60” and you keep moving for 60 minutes every day, that you can get an award from the President? Did you know that?

CHILDREN:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Do you want to hear about the award?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you sure?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  You think you might want to compete for an award?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, well, here’s how you do it.  So listen up.  Everyone listen up.  This award is called the President’s Active Lifestyle Award.  And what to do to earn it is that all you have to do is go online and log your activity.  You go to letsmove.gov, but you’ll get all that information.  This is starting next week.  And the goal is that you have to stay active every day for six weeks; that they get 60 minutes or something good in there for six weeks to get this award.  What, does that sound hard?

CHILDREN:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Doesn’t sound that hard.  Right?  And to show everyone how not hard it is, and how much fun it can be, I’m going to earn my award.  Yeah, me, me.  Don’t -- what is the silence?  What, you don’t think I can do this?  I am going to be working towards my award starting in a couple of weeks -- somewhere, soon.

So you guys can get online and track my progress because I’m going to be logging it.  And if I start slacking off, you can email me and tell me to get myself into gear.  All right?

So you think this is something that we can work on doing together?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Because guess what, the NFL has made an important pledge on this front.  They have pledged to help 200,000 kids earn an Active Lifestyle Award in this year.  Isn’t that great? 

And the other thing -- now, this is news for the press, because we just talked about this, is that I want to host a big ol’ celebration at the White House for some of the kids who have won these awards.  So maybe that's an incentive, right?

So hopefully some of you guys will compete.  I hope all of you guys will work to get this award, because we want every single kid in the country to be working toward this award.  And if you get it, guess who will follow you?  Your parents will follow you.  If you have younger brothers and sisters, they’re going to follow you.  Everyone is going to be trying to get one of these awards, and you guys can be the first, because we’re going to start off right this afternoon.  I bet what we do today will count towards your award.

So are you ready?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to get moving?

CHILDREN:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, let’s move!  Let’s do it!

END
12:51 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Ohio!  Thank you, Cleveland!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you very much, everybody.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Have a seat.  We've got some business to do today.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  Thank you.

Before we get started I want to just acknowledge some outstanding public servants who are here.  First of all, somebody who I believe is one of the finest governors in this country -- Ted Strickland is here.  (Applause.)  The lieutenant-governor and soon-to-be junior senator from the great state of Illinois -- or Ohio -- I was thinking about my own home -- Lee Fisher is here. (Applause.)

I used to hear that line all the time about “senator from Illinois” -- that would be me.  (Laughter.) 

Outstanding mayor of Cleveland, Frank Jackson is here.  (Applause.)  The mayor of Parma, Dean DePiero.  (Applause.)  Somebody who is fighting for working families each and every day, Senator Sherrod Brown is here.  (Applause.)  And three of the hardest-working and finest members of the House of Representatives -- Dennis Kucinich, Marcia Fudge, and John Boccieri.  (Applause.)

Good afternoon, everybody.  It is good to be back in Ohio.  (Applause.)       
 
You know, in the fall of 2008, one of the last rallies of my presidential campaign was right here in the Cleveland area.  (Applause.)  It was a hopeful time, just two days before the election.  And we knew that if we pulled it off, we’d finally have the chance to tackle some big and difficult challenges that had been facing this country for a very long time. 

We also hoped for a chance to get beyond some of the old political divides -– between Democrats and Republicans, red states and blue states -– that had prevented us from making progress.  Because although we are proud to be Democrats, we are prouder to be Americans -– (applause) -- and we believed then and we believe now that no single party has a monopoly on wisdom. 

That’s not to say that the election didn’t expose deep differences between the parties. 

I ran for President because for much of the last decade, a very specific governing philosophy had reigned about how America should work:  Cut taxes, especially for millionaires and billionaires.  Cut regulations for special interests.  Cut trade deals even if they didn’t benefit our workers.  Cut back on investments in our people and in our future -– in education and clean energy, in research and technology.  The idea was that if we just had blind faith in the market, if we let corporations play by their own rules, if we left everyone else to fend for themselves that America would grow and America would prosper. 

And for a time this idea gave us the illusion of prosperity. We saw financial firms and CEOs take in record profits and record bonuses.  We saw a housing boom that led to new homeowners and new jobs in construction.  Consumers bought more condos and bigger cars and better TVs. 

But while all this was happening, the broader economy was becoming weaker.  Nobody understands that more than the people of Ohio.  Job growth between 2000 and 2008 was slower than it had been in any economic expansion since World War II -– slower than it’s been over the last year.  The wages and incomes of middle-class families kept falling while the cost of everything from tuition to health care kept on going up.  Folks were forced to put more debt on their credit cards and borrow against homes that many couldn’t afford to buy in the first place.  And meanwhile, a failure to pay for two wars and two tax cuts for the wealthy helped turn a record surplus into a record deficit. 

I ran for President because I believed that this kind of economy was unsustainable –- for the middle class and for the future of our nation.  I ran because I had a different idea about how America was built.  (Applause.)  It was an idea rooted in my own family’s story.

You see, Michelle and I are where we are today because even though our families didn’t have much, they worked tirelessly -– without complaint -– so that we might have a better life.  My grandfather marched off to Europe in World War II, while my grandmother worked in factories on the home front.  I had a single mom who put herself through school, and would wake before dawn to make sure I got a decent education.  Michelle can still remember her father heading out to his job as a city worker long after multiple sclerosis had made it impossible for him to walk without crutches.  He always got to work; he just had to get up a little earlier.

Yes, our families believed in the American values of self-reliance and individual responsibility, and they instilled those values in their children.  But they also believed in a country that rewards responsibility; a country that rewards hard work; a country built on the promise of opportunity and upward mobility.   
They believed in an America that gave my grandfather the chance to go to college because of the GI Bill; an America that gave my grandparents the chance to buy a home because of the Federal Housing Authority; an America that gave their children and grandchildren the chance to fulfill our dreams thanks to college loans and college scholarships.

It was an America where you didn’t buy things you couldn’t afford; where we didn’t just think about today -– we thought about tomorrow.  An America that took pride in the goods that we made, not just the things we consumed.  An America where a rising tide really did lift all boats, from the company CEO to the guy on the assembly line.

That’s the America I believe in.  (Applause.)  That’s the America I believe in.  That's what led me to work in the shadow of a shuttered steel plant on the South Side of Chicago when I was a community organizer.  It’s what led me to fight for factory workers at manufacturing plants that were closing across Illinois when I was a senator.  It’s what led me to run for President -– because I don’t believe we can have a strong and growing economy without a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)   

Now, much has happened since that election.  The flawed policies and economic weaknesses of the previous decade culminated in a financial crisis and the worst recession of our lifetimes.  And my hope was that the crisis would cause everybody, Democrats and Republicans, to pull together and tackle our problems in a practical way.  But as we all know, things didn’t work out that way. 

Some Republican leaders figured it was smart politics to sit on the sidelines and let Democrats solve the mess.  Others believed on principle that government shouldn’t meddle in the markets, even when the markets are broken.  But with the nation losing nearly 800,000 jobs the month that I was sworn into office, my most urgent task was to stop a financial meltdown and prevent this recession from becoming a second depression.  (Applause.)   

And, Ohio, we have done that.  The economy is growing again. The financial markets have stabilized.  The private sector has created jobs for the last eight months in a row.  (Applause.)  And there are roughly 3 million Americans who are working today because of the economic plan we put into place.

But the truth is progress has been painfully slow.  Millions of jobs were lost before our policies even had a chance to take effect.  We lost 4 million in the six months before I took office.  It was a hole so deep that even though we’ve added jobs again, millions of Americans remain unemployed.  Hundreds of thousands of families have lost their homes.  Millions more can barely pay the bills or make the mortgage.  The middle class is still treading water, and those aspiring to reach the middle class are doing everything they can to keep from drowning. 

And meanwhile, some of the very steps that were necessary to save the economy -– like temporarily supporting the banks and the auto industry -– fed the perception that Washington is still ignoring the middle class in favor of special interests.

And so people are frustrated and they’re angry and they’re anxious about the future.  I understand that.  I also understand that in a political campaign, the easiest thing for the other side to do is to ride this fear and anger all the way to Election Day.    

That’s what’s happening right now.  A few weeks ago, the Republican leader of the House came here to Cleveland and offered his party’s answer to our economic challenges.  Now, it would be one thing if he had admitted his party’s mistakes during the eight years that they were in power, if they had gone off for a while and meditated, and come back and offered a credible new approach to solving our country’s problems.

But that’s not what happened.  There were no new policies from Mr. Boehner.  There were no new ideas.  There was just the same philosophy that we had already tried during the decade that they were in power -- the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place:  Cut more taxes for millionaires and cut more rules for corporations. 

Instead of coming together like past generations did to build a better country for our children and grandchildren, their argument is that we should let insurance companies go back to denying care for folks who are sick, or let credit card companies go back to raising rates without any reason.  Instead of setting our sights higher, they’re asking us to settle for a status quo of stagnant growth and eroding competitiveness and a shrinking middle class.
  
Cleveland, that is not the America I know.  That is not the America we believe in.  (Applause.) 

A lot has changed since I came here in those final days of the last election, but what hasn’t is the choice facing this country.  It’s still fear versus hope; the past versus the future.  It’s still a choice between sliding backward and moving forward.  That’s what this election is about. That’s the choice you will face in November.  (Applause.)   

Now, we have a different vision for the future.  See, I’ve never believed that government has all the answers to our problems.  I’ve never believed that government’s role is to create jobs or prosperity.  I believe it’s the drive and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs, our small businesses; the skill and dedication of our workers -- (applause) -- that’s made us the wealthiest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)  I believe it’s the private sector that must be the main engine for our recovery. 

I believe government should be lean; government should be efficient.  I believe government should leave people free to make the choices they think are best for themselves and their families, so long as those choices don’t hurt others.  (Applause.)   

But in the words of the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, I also believe that government should do for the people what they cannot do better for themselves.  (Applause.)  And that means making the long-term investments in this country’s future that individuals and corporations can't make on their own:  investments in education and clean energy, in basic research and technology and infrastructure.  (Applause.) 

That means making sure corporations live up to their responsibilities to treat consumers fairly and play by the same rules as everyone else.  (Applause.)  Their responsibility is to look out for their workers, as well as their shareholders, and create jobs here at home.

And that means providing a hand-up for middle-class families –- so that if they work hard and meet their responsibilities, they can afford to raise their children, and send them to college, see a doctor when they get sick, retire with dignity and respect.  (Applause.)   

That’s what we Democrats believe in -– a vibrant free market, but one that works for everybody.  (Applause.)  That’s our vision.  That's our vision for a stronger economy and a growing middle class.  And that’s the difference between what we and Republicans in Congress are offering the American people right now. 

Let me give you a few specific examples of our different approaches.  This week, I proposed some additional steps to grow the economy and help businesses spur hiring.  One of the keys to job creation is to encourage companies to invest more in the United States.  But for years, our tax code has actually given billions of dollars in tax breaks that encourage companies to create jobs and profits in other countries. 

I want to change that.  (Applause.)  I want to change that. Instead of tax loopholes that incentivize investment in overseas jobs, I’m proposing a more generous, permanent extension of the tax credit that goes to companies for all the research and innovation they do right here in Ohio, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

And I’m proposing that all American businesses should be allowed to write off all the investment they do in 2011.  And this will help small businesses upgrade their plants and equipment, and will encourage large corporations to get off the sidelines and start putting their profits to work in places like Cleveland and Toledo and Dayton.  (Applause.)   

Now, to most of you, I'll bet this just seems like common sense.  (Laughter.)  But not to Mr. Boehner and his allies.  For years, Republicans have fought to keep these corporate loopholes open.  In fact, when Mr. Boehner was here in Cleveland he attacked us for closing a few of these loopholes -– and using the money to help states like Ohio keep hundreds of thousands of teachers and cops and firefighters on the job.  (Applause.) 
Mr. Boehner dismissed these jobs we saved –- teaching our kids, patrolling our streets, rushing into burning buildings -– as “government jobs” -– jobs I guess he thought just weren’t worth saving. 

And I couldn’t disagree more.  I think teachers and police officers and firefighters are part of what keeps America strong.  (Applause.)  And, Ohio, I think if we’re going to give tax breaks to companies, they should go to companies that create jobs in America -– not that create jobs overseas.  (Applause.)  That’s one difference between the Republican vision and the Democratic vision.  That’s what this election is all about.  (Applause.)   

Let me give you another example.  We want to put more Americans back to work rebuilding America -– our roads, our railways, our runways.  When the housing sector collapsed and the recession hit, one in every four jobs lost were in the construction industry.  That’s partly why our economic plan has invested in badly needed infrastructure projects over the last 19 months –- not just roads and bridges, but high-speed railroads and expanded broadband access.  Altogether, these projects have led to thousands of good, private sector jobs, especially for those in the trades.

Mr. Boehner and the Republicans in Congress said no to these projects.  Fought them tooth and nail.  Though I should say it didn’t stop a lot of them from showing up at the ribbon-cuttings -- (laughter) -- trying to take credit.  That’s always a sight to see.  (Laughter.)  

Now, there are still thousands of miles of railroads and railways and runways left to repair and improve.  And engineers, economists, governors, mayors of every political stripe believe that if we want to compete in this global economy, we need to rebuild this vital infrastructure.  There is no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains or the most modern airports -– we want to put people to work building them right here in America.  (Applause.)    

So this week, I’ve proposed a six-year infrastructure plan that would start putting Americans to work right away.  But despite the fact that this has traditionally been an issue with bipartisan support, Mr. Boehner has so far said no to infrastructure.  That’s bad for America -– and that, too, is what this election is all about. 

I’ll give you one final example of the differences between us and the Republicans, and that’s on the issue of tax cuts.  Under the tax plan passed by the last administration, taxes are scheduled to go up substantially next year -- for everybody.  By the way, this was by design.  When they passed these tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, they didn’t want everybody to know what it would do to our deficit, so they pretended like they were going to end, even though now they say they don't. 

Now, I believe we ought to make the tax cuts for the middle class permanent.  (Applause.)  For the middle class, permanent.  These families are the ones who saw their wages and incomes flat-line over the last decade -– you deserve a break.  (Applause.)   You deserve some help.  And because folks in the middle class are more likely to spend their tax cut on basic necessities, that strengthens the economy as a whole.

But the Republican leader of the House doesn’t want to stop there.  Make no mistake:  He and his party believe we should also give a permanent tax cut to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.

AUDIENCE:  Nooo!

THE PRESIDENT:  With all the other budgetary pressures we have -– with all the Republicans’ talk about wanting to shrink the deficit -- they would have us borrow $700 billion over the next 10 years to give a tax cut of about $100,000 each to folks who are already millionaires.  And keep in mind wealthy Americans are just about the only folks who saw their incomes rise when Republicans were in charge.  And these are the folks who are less likely to spend the money -- which is why economists don’t think tax breaks for the wealthy would do much to boost the economy.

So let me be clear to Mr. Boehner and everybody else:  We should not hold middle-class tax cuts hostage any longer.  (Applause.)  We are ready, this week, if they want, to give tax cuts to every American making $250,000 or less.  (Applause.)  That's 98-97 percent of Americans.  Now, for any income over this amount, the tax rates would just go back to what they were under President Clinton. 

This isn’t to punish folks who are better off –- God bless them.  It’s because we can’t afford the $700 billion price tag.  (Applause.)  And for those who claim that our approach would somehow be bad for growth and bad for small businesses, let me remind you that with those tax rates in place, under President Clinton, this country created 22 million jobs and raised incomes and had the largest surplus in our history.  (Applause.)   

In fact, if the Republican leadership in Congress really wants to help small businesses, they’ll stop using legislative maneuvers to block an up or down vote on a small business jobs bill that’s before the Senate right now.  Right now.  (Applause.) This is a bill that would do two things.  It would cut taxes for small businesses and make loans more available for small businesses.  (Applause.)  It is fully paid for, won't add to the deficit.  And it was written by Democrats and Republicans.  And yet, the other party continues to block this jobs bill -– a delay that small business owners have said is actually leading them to put off hiring.

Look, I recognize that most of the Republicans in Congress have said no to just about every policy I’ve proposed since taking office.  I realize in some cases that there are genuine philosophical differences.  But on issues like this one -- a tax cut for small businesses supported by the Chamber of Commerce -- the only reason they’re holding this up is politics, pure and simple.  (Applause.)  They’re making the same calculation they made just before my inauguration:  If I fail, they win.  Well, they might think that this will get them to where they want to go in November, but it won’t get our country going where it needs to go in the long run.  (Applause.)  It won’t get us there.  (Applause.)  It won’t get us there.  (Applause.)  It won't get us there.  (Applause.)      

So that’s the choice, Ohio.  Do we return to the same failed policies that ran our economy into a ditch, or do we keep moving forward with policies that are slowly pulling us out?   (Applause.)  Do we settle for a slow decline, or do we reach for an America with a growing economy and a thriving middle class?  (Applause.)  That’s the America that I see.  We may not be there yet, but we know where this country needs to go. 

We see a future where we invest in American innovation and American ingenuity; where we export more goods so we create more jobs here at home; where we make it easier to start a business or patent an invention; where we build a homegrown, clean energy industry -- because I don’t want to see new solar panels or electric cars or advanced batteries manufactured in Europe or Asia.  (Applause.)  I want to see them made right here in the U.S. of A by American workers.  (Applause.)  

We see an America where every citizen has the skills and training to compete with any worker in the world.  That’s why we’ve set a goal to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.  (Applause.)  That’s why we’re revitalizing community colleges like this one.  (Applause.) That’s why we’re reforming our education system based on what works for our children, not what perpetuates the status quo.  (Applause.) 

We see an America where a growing middle class is the beating heart of a growing economy.  That’s why I kept my campaign promise and gave a middle-class tax cut to 95 percent of working Americans.  (Applause.)  That’s why we passed health insurance reform that stops insurance companies from jacking up your premiums at will or denying coverage because you get sick.  (Applause.)  That’s why we passed financial reform that will end taxpayer-funded bailouts; reform that will stop credit card companies and mortgage lenders from taking advantage of taxpayers and consumers.  (Applause.)   

That’s why we’re trying to make it easier for workers to save for retirement and fighting the efforts of some in the other party to privatize Social Security -- because as long as I’m President, no one is going to take the retirement savings of a generation of Americans and hand it over to Wall Street.  Not on my watch.  (Applause.)  

That’s why we’re fighting to extend the child tax credit and make permanent our new college tax credit, because if we do, it will mean $10,000 in tuition relief for each child going to four years of college.  (Applause.)  And I don’t want any parent not to be sending their kids, in good time or bad, to college because they can’t afford it. 

And finally, we see an America where we refuse to pass on the debt we inherited to the next generation. 

Now, let me spend just a minute on this issue, because we’ve heard a lot of moralizing on the other side about this -- government spending and debt.  Along with the tax cuts for the wealthy, the other party’s main economic proposal is that they’ll stop government spending. 

Now, it’s right to be concerned about the long-term deficit. If we don’t get a handle on it soon, it can endanger our future. And at a time when folks are tightening their belts at home, I understand why a lot of Americans feel it’s time for government to show some discipline, too.  But let’s look at the facts.  When these same Republicans -- including Mr. Boehner -- were in charge, the number of earmarks and pet projects went up, not down.

These same Republicans turned a record surplus into a record deficit.  When I walked in, wrapped in a nice bow was a $1.3 trillion deficit sitting right there on my doorstep.  (Laughter.) A welcoming present. 

Just this year, these same Republicans voted against a bipartisan fiscal commission that they themselves had proposed.  Once I decided I was for it, they were against it.  (Laughter.)  And when you ask them what programs they’d actually cut they don’t have an answer. 

That’s not fiscal responsibility.  That’s not a serious plan to govern. 

Now, I’ll be honest -– I refuse to cut back on those investments that will grow our economy in the future -– investments in areas like education and clean energy and technology.  (Applause.)  I don't want to cut those things.  And that’s because economic growth is the single best way to bring down the deficit –- and we need these investments to grow. 

But I am absolutely committed to fiscal responsibility, which is why I’ve already proposed freezing all discretionary spending unrelated to national security for the next three years. (Applause.)

And once the bipartisan fiscal commission finishes its work, I’ll spend the next year making the tough choices necessary to further reduce our deficit and lower our debt -- whether I get help from the other side or not.  (Applause.)

Of course, reducing the deficit won’t be easy.  Making up for the 8 million lost jobs caused by this recession won’t happen overnight.  Not everything we’ve done over the last two years has worked as quickly as we had hoped, and I am keenly aware that not all of our policies have been popular. 

So, no, our job is not easy.  But you didn’t elect me to do what was easy.  (Applause.)  You didn’t elect me to just read the polls and figure how to keep myself in office.  You didn’t elect me to avoid big problems.  You elected me to do what was right.  And as long as I’m President, that’s exactly what I intend to do. (Applause.)

This country is emerging from an incredibly difficult period in its history -– an era of irresponsibility that stretched from Wall Street to Washington, and had a devastating effect on a lot of people.  We have started turning the corner on that era.  But part of moving forward is returning to the time-honored values that built this country:  hard work and self-reliance; responsibility for ourselves, but also responsibility for one another.  It’s about moving from an attitude that said “What’s in it for me?” to one that asks, “What’s best for America?  What’s best for all our workers?  What’s best for all of our businesses? What’s best for all of our children?”  (Applause.) 

These values are not Democratic or Republican.  They are not conservative or liberal values.  They are American values.  As Democrats, we take pride in what our party has accomplished over the last century:  Social Security and the minimum wage; the GI Bill and Medicare; civil rights and worker’s rights and women’s rights.  (Applause.)  But we also recognize that throughout our history, there has been a noble Republican vision as well, of what this country can be.  It was the vision of Abraham Lincoln, who set up the first land grant colleges and launched the transcontinental railroad; the vision of Teddy Roosevelt, who used the power of government to break up monopolies; the vision of Dwight Eisenhower, who helped build the Interstate Highway System.  And, yes, the vision of Ronald Reagan, who despite his aversion to government, was willing to help save Social Security for future generations -- working with Democrats.  (Applause.)    
These were serious leaders for serious times.  They were great politicians, but they didn’t spend all their time playing games or scoring points.  They didn’t always prey on people’s fears and anxieties.  They made mistakes, but they did what they thought was in the best interests of their country and its people.
 
And that’s what the American people expect of us today -– Democrats, independents, and Republicans.  (Applause.)  That’s the debate they deserve.  That’s the leadership we owe them. 

I know that folks are worried about the future.  I know there’s still a lot of hurt out here.  And when times are tough, I know it can be tempting to give in to cynicism and fear and doubt and division -– and just settle our sights a little bit lower, settle for something a little bit less.  But that’s not who we are, Ohio.  Those are not the values that built this country.

We are here today because in the worst of times, the people who came before us brought out the best in America.  Because our parents and our grandparents and our great-grandparents were willing to work and sacrifice for us.  They were willing to take great risks, and face great hardship, and reach for a future that would give us the chance at a better life.  They knew that this country is greater than the sum of its parts -– that America is not about the ambitions of any one individual, but the aspirations of an entire people, an entire nation.  (Applause.) 

That’s who we are.  That is our legacy.  And I’m convinced that if we’re willing to summon those values today, and if we’re willing to choose hope over fear, and choose the future over the past, and come together once more around the great project of national renewal, then we will restore our economy and rebuild our middle class and reclaim the American Dream for the next generation.  (Applause.)   

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

END
2:53 P.M. EDT

The announcement was made today at Woldenberg Park in New Orleans during the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival, part of the NFL’s celebration to kick off the 2010 season. Making the announcement were the First Lady, Commissioner Goodell, Super Bowl winning coach and current NBC Sports broadcaster Tony Dungy and former NFL players.
 
The First Lady’s Office and the NFL will work to promote the joint goals of NFL PLAY 60 and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity and help the nation’s youth lead healthier, more active lives.
 
Among the highlights:
 

• Through its two primary in-school programs -- the PLAY 60 Challenge in partnership with the American Heart Association and Fuel Up To Play 60 in partnership with The National Dairy Council -- the NFL will support the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) program with a goal of encouraging 200,000 students to participate in the program this year. The First Lady’s Office supports programs like both the Play 60 Challenge and Fuel Up to Play 60 programs as great ways for kids to be active and healthy. 

 
The PALA program enables people of all ages to receive Presidential recognition for leading healthier lifestyles. For more information about the President’s Challenge programs, visit www.presidentschallenge.org. Americans can earn PALA recognition by performing regular activity beyond their daily activity goal of 30 minutes a day for adults or 60 minutes a day for youths under 18 for at least 5 days per week, for a total of 6 weeks. 
 

• The NFL and the First Lady’s Office will develop and share co-branded content.  Among the elements will be a Public Service Announcement that will promote Let’s Move! and Fuel Up To Play 60, a joint program of the National Dairy Council and the NFL. The message will be produced in conjunction with the Ad Council and will debut in November.

 
NFL PLAY 60 and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign pledge to build upon the work already begun over the past year and announced today in the years ahead.  The NFL, for example, will build this fall its 100th site for children to play through NFL Play 60 as part of its NFL United Way "Hometown Huddle" day of service. 
 
Today’s announcement follows other recent joint efforts between the NFL and the White House:
 

• President Obama last month honored the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl victory and spoke of the role the team has played in helping New Orleans recover from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. The team also held a NFL PLAY 60 football clinic on the White House lawn with local Washington, DC-area youth.
• In June, the First Lady introduced Brees as the 2010 co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Former New England Patriots great Tedy Bruschi also was named a member of the 2010 Council. Drew Brees has been the national spokesman for NFL PLAY 60 for the last three years. 
• President Obama and the First Lady joined the NFL and players from the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins in helping kids learn the value of good health as part of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in April. This year’s Egg Roll was themed “Ready, Set, Go!” promoting health and wellness. All activities, including youth football clinics led by the NFL and NFL players, encouraged children in attendance to lead healthy and active lives as part of the Let’s Move!  initiative.
• Last season, President Obama filmed a PSA at the White House with Brees, Pittsburgh Steelers S Troy Polamalu and Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware promoting PLAY 60 and the White House’s “United We Serve” campaign. The PSA ran during NFL telecasts on Thanksgiving weekend in airtime donated by the NFL.

About Let’s Move!
 
Let's Move! cultivates the appreciation of nutritious food and inspires kids to engage in physical activity. It empowers parents and caregivers by emphasizing their role in making healthy choices for children and stresses the importance of access to nutritious foods in schools and communities. Let’s Move! was launched in February 2010 in partnership with the USDA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and other members of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Let’s Move! is a continuation of White House efforts to unite and inspire families to take real and sustained actions to eat better, be more active and make a commitment to embracing healthier lifestyles.
 
About NFL PLAY 60
 
Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations.  Since the program was launched in 2007, the NFL has committed $200 million to youth health and fitness through programming, grants, and media time for PSAs. For more information, visit www.nflrush.com

The announcement was made today at Woldenberg Park in New Orleans during the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival, part of the NFL’s celebration to kick off the 2010 season. Making the announcement were the First Lady, Commissioner Goodell, Super Bowl winning coach and current NBC Sports broadcaster Tony Dungy and former NFL players.
 
The First Lady’s Office and the NFL will work to promote the joint goals of NFL PLAY 60 and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity and help the nation’s youth lead healthier, more active lives.
 
Among the highlights:
 

• Through its two primary in-school programs -- the PLAY 60 Challenge in partnership with the American Heart Association and Fuel Up To Play 60 in partnership with The National Dairy Council -- the NFL will support the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) program with a goal of encouraging 200,000 students to participate in the program this year. The First Lady’s Office supports programs like both the Play 60 Challenge and Fuel Up to Play 60 programs as great ways for kids to be active and healthy. 

 
The PALA program enables people of all ages to receive Presidential recognition for leading healthier lifestyles. For more information about the President’s Challenge programs, visit www.presidentschallenge.org. Americans can earn PALA recognition by performing regular activity beyond their daily activity goal of 30 minutes a day for adults or 60 minutes a day for youths under 18 for at least 5 days per week, for a total of 6 weeks. 
 

• The NFL and the First Lady’s Office will develop and share co-branded content.  Among the elements will be a Public Service Announcement that will promote Let’s Move! and Fuel Up To Play 60, a joint program of the National Dairy Council and the NFL. The message will be produced in conjunction with the Ad Council and will debut in November.

 
NFL PLAY 60 and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign pledge to build upon the work already begun over the past year and announced today in the years ahead.  The NFL, for example, will build this fall its 100th site for children to play through NFL Play 60 as part of its NFL United Way "Hometown Huddle" day of service. 
 
Today’s announcement follows other recent joint efforts between the NFL and the White House:
 

• President Obama last month honored the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl victory and spoke of the role the team has played in helping New Orleans recover from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. The team also held a NFL PLAY 60 football clinic on the White House lawn with local Washington, DC-area youth.
• In June, the First Lady introduced Brees as the 2010 co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Former New England Patriots great Tedy Bruschi also was named a member of the 2010 Council. Drew Brees has been the national spokesman for NFL PLAY 60 for the last three years. 
• President Obama and the First Lady joined the NFL and players from the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins in helping kids learn the value of good health as part of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in April. This year’s Egg Roll was themed “Ready, Set, Go!” promoting health and wellness. All activities, including youth football clinics led by the NFL and NFL players, encouraged children in attendance to lead healthy and active lives as part of the Let’s Move!  initiative.
• Last season, President Obama filmed a PSA at the White House with Brees, Pittsburgh Steelers S Troy Polamalu and Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware promoting PLAY 60 and the White House’s “United We Serve” campaign. The PSA ran during NFL telecasts on Thanksgiving weekend in airtime donated by the NFL.

About Let’s Move!
 
Let's Move! cultivates the appreciation of nutritious food and inspires kids to engage in physical activity. It empowers parents and caregivers by emphasizing their role in making healthy choices for children and stresses the importance of access to nutritious foods in schools and communities. Let’s Move! was launched in February 2010 in partnership with the USDA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and other members of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Let’s Move! is a continuation of White House efforts to unite and inspire families to take real and sustained actions to eat better, be more active and make a commitment to embracing healthier lifestyles.
 
About NFL PLAY 60
 
Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations.  Since the program was launched in 2007, the NFL has committed $200 million to youth health and fitness through programming, grants, and media time for PSAs. For more information, visit www.nflrush.com

MR. GIBBS:  All right, fire away.

Q    Mr. Boehner has come out with a proposal that would freeze taxes at their current level and put spending at 2008 levels.  What’s the administration’s response?  Is that something you can at least work with?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, I want to be clear.  I’ve heard Congressman Boehner on many, many occasions talk about making the tax cuts for the upper end, for the wealthy, permanent.  That’s his plan, and I think that continues to be his plan.  You’re going to hear the President talk about the fact that giving a $100,000 tax break to a millionaire, at a cost of $700 million for 10 years, that’s not getting our fiscal house in order.  We can’t afford that.  That’s what the President will talk about today. 

And again, I continue -- I saw part of what Congressman Boehner said on TV.  My question, I guess, for him is, are they abandoning the permanent or are they going to -- are they just doing a two-year proposal?  I’ve seen him say permanent so many times I tend to believe that’s what he’s working off of.

Q    Is the President willing to compromise at all on the tax cuts?  There seems to be some question.  On the upper-income tax cuts, would he --

MR. GIBBS:  You know, look, I’ve been with the President since he ran for the Senate in 2004 and we were asked if we supported the middle-class cuts in 2004, and the President said yes.  Our position has been -- and we’ve talked about this for many months -- and that is keep the tax cuts for the middle class who are struggling in this economy and, quite frankly, were struggling before the economy collapsed in September of 2008.  Their wages had gone down; their hours had gone up for many, many years.  The President will discuss that today.

But we are facing a budget deficit that is not going to be fixed by handing out $700 billion to the wealthy.  That’s what the President -- that’s the President’s position on this and that’s what he’ll talk about today.

Q    That is -- what?

MR. GIBBS:  Our position is tax cuts for the middle class.  Theirs is tax cuts for millionaires.

Q    But is there any talk of maybe moving that upper limit up from $250,000?  People have thrown out $500,000.  Is that something you guys are even discussing?

MR. GIBBS:  Not that I’m aware of, no. 

Q    -- some Hill Democrats who are advocating spending -- making that --

MR. GIBBS:  Look, I don’t know if anybody is -- I don’t know if anybody at the White House has talked to anybody up on the Hill today.  I mean, again, the President’s position on this has been clear.

Q    Is there any reaction from the White House to the BP report?  It seems like they’re trying to put a lot of the blame for the spill on a lot of other companies.

MR. GIBBS:  Well, look, obviously we’re looking at the report and there’s an active, ongoing investigation as to what went wrong that day in April.  Our focus is on finding out -- and again, I talked about this yesterday -- we’ve got -- the blowout preventer is now -- we have the ability to look at it, add that to part of the investigation.  And our job is to find out what went wrong and hold those responsible accountable for the damage that’s been done, and that’s what the administration will do.

Q    Rahm for mayor?

MR. GIBBS:  Are you signing up?  (Laughter.)  You know, I think many of you saw what David said on the morning shows.  Look, obviously, something like that doesn’t come around a lot.  Mayor Daley has been there since 1989.  And I presume that Rahm will take some time and make a decision about that.  It’s no surprise that he was -- that’s a job he’s been interested in.

I will say a couple of things.  One, it’s understandable -- I’m not from Chicago, but having spent a lot of time there over the past seven or eight years, it’s a city you can fall in love with very quickly.  But secondly I would say, our day ends with and begins with a meeting in Rahm’s office.  We had that meeting yesterday and we were focused on a series of things that lie in front of us, and started it at 7:30 a.m. this morning with the same meeting. 

So I think Rahm right now is focused on the enormous number of tasks that we have in front of us as an administration.  I have no doubt that he’ll take some time to think about what he wants to do with his future, but I think his focus right now is on his job as chief of staff.

Q    Do you know if he’s talked to the President about it, or to you about it?

MR. GIBBS:  I have not talked to him about it.  I have not -- I don't know the answer to the second --

Q    Robert, do you expect -- Rahm may leave, the midterm elections are coming up, people are exhausted, it might be a natural time for some staff turnover.  Should we expect that after the midterms?

MR. GIBBS:  Well, I mean, look, I don’t have any news for you on that.  I would say -- look, I think -- I do not think it is surprising that that is a time in which people who have given two years of service return to things that they were doing beforehand.  I don’t doubt that that will happen in -- it will happen in this administration like it has in many of the previous.

I will say, too, for those that were on the campaign, this is sort of the end of year four, not necessarily the end of year two.  So I think there’s no doubt that there will be people that return to their lives and their families and -- but we’ve got a while before that.  We’ve got at least two months before this election -- or about two months before this election before we get to a lot of those decisions.

Q    Senator Bennet of Colorado is quoted in The Hill as opposing the $50 billion infrastructure measure that the President rolled out a couple days ago.  Any thoughts on that, and do you have any concern about holding Democrats together on that portion of the package?

MR. GIBBS:  I honestly did not see the article.  I don’t know what his reasoning was.  Look, the President’s proposal for an increase in infrastructure investment has to do with the fact that 20 percent of those that are unemployed used to be employed -- they’re skilled labor and used to be employed in the construction industry.  But because of the housing boom, the demand for new houses is not nearly as great, and you find a lot of these people who -- a lot of these workers who can’t find the skilled labor that they’re used to doing. 

So it’s a long-term proposal.  It’s about investing in not just skilled labor but investing in rebuilding America.  And I think we’ll have -- I think if you look at the number of people that over the course of the past two years have said they support more infrastructure spending, I think you’d find the vast majority of Congress.  The question is whether or not we can get things done because people are willing to move forward rather than play games.

All right, guys?  Get buckled up.

Q    Thanks, Robert.

MR. GIBBS:  Thanks, guys.

END
1:19 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thanks, everyone.  Good morning!  Well, let’s start by thanking Mr. Malik -- (applause) -- for just being so awesome.  (Laughter.)  Well done.  We’re very proud of you.  We’re proud of all the students here. 

I can’t tell you just how thrilled I am to be here with all of you today at Brock Elementary School.  We are kicking off this new school year and we are kicking off the next phase of “Let’s Move!”

But before I get into that, let me start by thanking a few people.  I want to thank Mayor Landrieu, who’s here with his lovely wife.  There you guys are, right there.  (Applause.)  Mayor Betty Alford-Olive is here.  I got to see her earlier.  It’s good to see you.  (Applause.)  And I want to just thank and recognize all the other elected officials who are joining us here today.  Why don’t you all stand so that we can see you.  Say hello if you’re here.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)

And I also have to acknowledge our host of today, Principal Rose Smith, and your superintendent, Superintendent Folse.  Thank you all for hosting this, for inviting me here, welcoming me with such warm greetings.  And I want to thank you for your leadership and your commitment to our young people.  It means so much not just to the kids in this community but the kids in this country.

Now, as some of you may remember, last February, when we launched “Let’s Move,” we set a goal for ourselves, and that was to solve the problem of childhood obesity so that kids born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

And I think it’s fair to say that that’s a pretty ambitious goal, right?  A generational goal -- pretty ambitious.  But I think you’ll also agree that when we are talking about the health and well-being of our children, when we’re talking about our children’s futures, then I think that’s something that we have to be ambitious about. We don't have a choice. 

And we’re beginning to better understand the magnitude of this crisis.  We’re seeing it all over.  Everyone is talking about it now.  And we know the threat that it poses to the health of our children.  So it’s simply not enough to solve this problem halfway or to do it incrementally.  This is a national problem and it’s affecting every single child in every single community in this country.

And that’s why, over the past year, we have been working so hard, reaching out to folks all across this country, because everybody has to be a part of this solution.   We’re working with the food manufacturers.  We're trying to get them to put better, more clear labels on products.  We’re working with restaurants to post calories so you know what you’re eating.  We’re pushing to get better food in our schools.  We want to get better information into the hands of parents so that they can make better decisions.  And we’re fighting to get more grocery stores providing healthy options right in our communities  –- and I know that that is an issue that’s of particular concern to many people here today.

So over the past year we have worked hard to raise awareness, to get folks engaged, and to get “Let’s Move’ off the ground.  And I think we’ve done a pretty good job.  We’ve gotten off to a pretty good start.  But what we’ve done so far is just that -- it’s a start.  So the key now, in this next phase of “Let’s Move,” is to get results.  We have to ensure that our efforts are actually making our kids healthier.

Last spring, our White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity drafted a plan, plan of attack, and they laid out a series of benchmarks that we need to hit in order to reach our goal of solving this problem in a generation.  And the plan includes everything from preventing obesity early on by supporting breastfeeding and prenatal care, to getting more doctors to screen our children for obesity, to getting kids to be more active, both in school and out of school.  And during this next phase, we’re going to be focusing on hitting those benchmarks and holding ourselves accountable every step of the way.

So that brings me to the reason why we’re launching this next phase of “Let’s Move” right here at this school  -- because the truth is when it comes to being accountable and getting results, all of you here at this school and in this district are setting the standard for schools and school districts across the country for doing just that.

You see, right here at Brock Elementary, this isn’t just a school that demonstrates a commitment to academic success.  This isn’t just a school that's a model of determination and resilience, having rebuilt this beautiful school from the ground up after Hurricane Katrina.  It is a wonderful facility, and congratulations on that success.  But we’re here today because this school is a model of excellence in teaching our children healthy habits right from the beginning.

Your success in the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge is a wonderful example.  Through this challenge, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes schools that are doing the very best work to keep kids healthy –- and that includes providing everything from healthy school meals to ensuring that kids are getting regular gym classes.

And as a winner of the Gold Award of Distinction -–which is the highest honor that the USDA awards –- Brock Elementary is among the very best of the best.  And that’s a major distinction.  (Applause.)   

And I’ve heard some pretty interesting ways that you’re reaching this goal -- that you’ve reached this goal.  You’ve been very creative.  I hear that the students here participate in food-tasting parties and that they work with the cafeteria manager to teach other children, their peers, about healthy eating.  I’m also told that you’ve even started a jump rope club.  I might try that.  I think I’m pretty good at jumping rope.  (Laughter.)   

And Brock isn’t the only school in this district to win this honor.  See, here in St. Tammany Parish, 25 schools –- that’s right, 25 schools right here in this parish -– have earned the Gold Award of Distinction.

And I understand that we also have some representatives here from another school district -– your neighbors in Shelby County, Alabama -– where 20 of their schools have also been awarded Gold with Distinction.

So this is an extraordinary accomplishment, and you all should be incredibly proud because it’s not being done everywhere.  And this -- something like this doesn’t happen by accident.  It happens because there are principals and there are food service managers and others who had made a commitment and they put a lot of hard work into getting this done.

And as educators and community leaders, all of you here know better than anyone the impact that childhood obesity has on the lives of our young people.  You don’t need to read all the studies showing that nutrition and physical activity affect our kids’ academic performance, because you see it every day for yourselves right in the classroom and in your communities.

You know that kids need time and space to run and get all that energy out before they can sit down and concentrate.  You know they need something more than chips and soda and candy before they can focus on math and reading and science.

The reality is that our schools are on the frontlines of our efforts to fight childhood obesity.  You are the ones.  There are 31 million American children who participate in the federal school lunch program; 11 million are part of the school breakfast program.  So many of these kids consume up to half of their daily calories at school right here.  And the nutrition education they get at schools like Brock Elementary sometimes might be the only guidance they get on making healthy decisions about what they eat.

So every day, with the work that you do, and the food you serve, and the lessons you teach, and the example you set, you’re shaping our children’s habits and preferences, and affecting the choices they’re going to make for the rest of their lives.  And that's pretty powerful.

Through “Let’s Move,” I want to provide more support for your efforts and help all our kids lead active, healthy lives.  I want all our kids to be like the kids here at Brock.  And there are some ways that I think that we can help:

First and foremost, we’re working with all of you to get fresher, more nutritious food into our schools.  That is key.  And we believe that one of the best ways to do this is through the Healthier U.S. School Challenge.  This program has spurred schools all across the country to raise their standards and transform their classrooms and their cafeterias into essentially healthy eating, learning labs for their students.

That’s why we’ve set a goal of doubling –- and that's doubling –- the number of schools that participate in the Healthier U.S. School Challenge by June of 2011.  And we want to add an additional 1,000 schools in each of the following two years after that.

But in order to reach that goal, we’ve got to make things easier for schools, so we're going to do that by making it easier to apply, first of all, because we’re going to be moving our application online, and hopefully that will help.  We're going to be letting districts apply for all their schools with just one application, and hopefully that will help.

We’re also going to make it easier for schools to succeed at achieving this standard by providing some better technical assistance and by connecting schools with professional chefs through our “Chefs Move to Schools” program.  And already, nearly 1,800 professional chefs -- they met on the South Lawn in their white coats -- have signed up to give nearly 1,300 schools the expert advice they need to meet this challenge.

And when schools do succeed, we want to sweeten the pot a little bit with new cash rewards.  And I’ll be also inviting representatives from each award-winning school to come to my house -- (laughter) -- for a reception in their honor.  Hopefully that will be exciting.  (Applause.)

Finally, we’re working to increase participation in our school lunch program by 2 million eligible children, and to get another 3 million kids signed up to start receiving school breakfasts by 2015 -- because I think we can all agree that no child in this country should be starting school hungry each day.  No child should be going without the basic nutrition they need to learn, to grow, to succeed, not just in school but in life.  (Applause.)

But I want to be clear -- it’s important to be clear that we can’t do any of this unless we pass the Child Nutrition legislation that’s before Congress right now.  This bipartisan legislation supports critically needed investments to help millions of children get the nourishment that they need to be healthy.

And the good news is that the Senate has already acted on this legislation.  And it is my great hope that the House of Representatives will do the same by the end of this month so that we can get this bill signed into law and start working on behalf of our kids.

But of course we all know that healthy eating is only part of the battle.  Experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of activity a day.  And we all know that many of our kids aren’t even coming close.  That’s why another key component to “Let’s Move” is simple -- it’s getting our kids moving.  We want to find new ways for them to get -– and stay –- fit and active, and to do it for the rest of their lives.

One of the key benchmarks that we’re working to meet is to double the number of children winning the President’s Active Lifestyle Award.  Now, to earn this award, students need to engage in physical activity five days a week, for six weeks.  Sounds pretty good.  And the idea is to help kids make exercise habit-forming.  We want to show them how good it feels to be active, so that they’ll stick with it long after those six weeks are over.

And we’re going to be working with after-school programs and with wonderful athletes, folks like Drew Brees -- you know that character, right? -- (laughter) -- as well as Dominique Dawes.  They are co-chairs of the President’s Fitness Council and they’re going to help promote this program. 

And to show everyone just how much fun it can be, I will be working to earn my Active Lifestyle Award.  I’m going to do it.  (Laughter.)  And I want kids across the country to join me.  Actually, I want all you all to join me.  Don't just leave it on the kids.  I want you all to join me.  (Applause.)  So in a couple weeks -- I'm not sure when it’s going to start -- starting soon, I'm going to be recording my progress online, so if I start falling behind, I want everyone to be checking on me and make sure that I'm not slacking.  Send me emails to shame me into staying on track.  (Laughter.)  So I’m excited about it, and I think it’s something that’s very doable.  And the thing is, is that if your kids see you doing it -- your grandparents, uncles, teachers -- they’re going to be engaged.  So let’s make this something that we’re all trying to do together.

So that’s just some of what we’re doing to support your work in schools.  And I hope that in the coming months and years, all of you, and schools all across the country, will become even more involved in “Let’s Move.”  I hope that more schools will get their kids working toward these Active Lifestyle Awards.  We’re going to make it interesting and exciting for kids.  All we need you to do is hook them in.  Even if you sign up just one class or one club in your school, I guarantee you that if those kids enjoy it -- which they will-- they’re going to tell their friends, and sooner or later there are going to be more who want to join in.  So it doesn’t take a lot, it just takes a little spark.

I also hope that more school districts will set a goal for themselves of having a certain number of their schools become Healthier U.S. Schools each year.  And I also hope that schools will work together to help each other get involved as well -- because the truth is there’s no limit on the number of schools that can become Healthier U.S.  Schools, just like there’s no limit on the number of kids who can get an Active Lifestyle Award.  See, the truth is we’re in this together.  Everyone can win.  There are no losers.

So if you’re a school that has already met the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge, then I hope you’ll reach out to some others and help them find a way to meet the challenge, as well.

If you’ve found an exciting new activity for gym class that kids are just pumped about, or you found a way to get kids to eat new foods in the lunchroom, we want you to share that, don’t keep it a secret, so that other schools and their students can benefit from the knowledge and exploration that you’ve enjoyed.

That’s what we’re trying to do with our website, Letsmove.gov, where we posted all kinds of tips and recipes and information that we wanted to share.  It’s a good-looking website, it’s exciting.  We've got guest stars on there.  So hopefully you all connect in and use that as a tool for sharing.

In the end, these are all the kinds of efforts that will make the difference in our kids’ lives.  We’re in charge here.  We can do this.  And all of you here, all the folks who are sitting here and listening in around the country who the folks who are going to be a part of solving this problem once and for all.  And that's pretty good news that this is a problem we can fix right here and right now.

And there’s so many people already doing it.  I’m thinking about folks like Amy Alter -- heard about her.  She’s a resource room teacher at P.S. 105 in the Bronx in New York.  And Amy wanted to get her students engaged in “Let’s Move,” so they created a healthy food bulletin board and they kept daily food diaries.  In a letter that she sent me she wrote -- and this is a quote -- “It was an eye-opener for all of us,” she said.  One of her students also sent me a letter where he proudly told me that an eggplant is actually fruit and then letting me know that he now eats apples and pretzels instead of chips and candy, which is always good to hear.

I’m also thinking about folks like Bill Magley, who’s a physical education teacher at the Dream Academy Charter School in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  He started this great program that he called the “100 Mile March,” where he and his students walk two and a half miles a day, four days a week, until they hit 100 miles.  The students who participated not only lost weight, but they gained confidence, and many found the experience to be pretty memorable.  There’s one student who wrote me and said -- and this is another quote -- “I might not like it, but I’ll never forget it.”  (Laughter.)

And then in Bastrop, Louisiana, our mayor, who is here with us, challenged her young people to improve their eating and exercise habits.  And as she told us, it was a challenge that they accepted with great enthusiasm.  That's another thing -- kids are ready for this challenge.  She said, one student reported -- and this is a quote -- “I was one of those people that didn’t think very much about my health.  And this program enlightened me.”  (Laughter.)  Another wrote, “This has been a life-changing activity.  I feel better about myself and I feel prettier, too.”  You know, small things.

So with these kind of examples, I know the difference that all of you are making and can make with just little gestures in the lives of our kids.  And I know that if we all keep working together, and if we keep making progress and holding ourselves accountable, we can change our children’s future.  That we can do.  We’ll meet our goal;  we will give our children the happy, healthy future that they deserve.  And we may make a few friends along the way.

So I am really looking forward to working with all of you.  Congratulations again to the folks here at Brock and to all the schools in the district.  I can see it on the faces of your children -- when I got there in the heat and some of them said it was hot.  (Laughter.)  But they look healthy, they look bright, they look energized.  And there is a difference.  You can see that different light in their eyes.  I've been to schools around the country, and there is a difference when kids feel good and they feel invested in -- not just academically, but as a whole child. 

So you all are doing a phenomenal job.  And I want the country to look and see that this parish has done great things even with great challenges.  You’ve been able to manage to do this as you built a new school and recover from one of the greatest devastations that this country has ever seen.  So if they can do it here, then all the schools out there can do it.

So thank you all.  Congratulations again.  And we'll see you soon.  (Applause.)  

END
10:35 A.M. CDT

*Backgrounder on Recovery Act Investments in Ohio and the Cleveland area attached.

PRE-PROGRAM

Reverend Otis Moss, Jr. will deliver the Invocation.
Rev. Moss, Jr., pastor emeritus at Cleveland's Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, serves on the White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
               
Duane Evans will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Duane is an Iraq veteran and president of the Veterans Club at Cuyahoga Community College.

Kira Seaton will sing the National Anthem.
Kira is an Assistant Professor of Music at Cuyahoga Community College.

ELECTED OFFICIALS EXPECTED TO ATTEND

Governor Ted Strickland
Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher
Senator Sherrod Brown
Representative John Boccieri
Representative Marcia Fudge
Representative Dennis Kucinich
Mayor Dean DePiero, Parma
Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland

Media logistics for planning purposes only. Please note times are EDT and are subject to change.

Monday, September 13, 2010

President Obama Delivers Remarks to NCAA Champion Student Athletes
5:45 p.m.

(Pre-Set 3:00 p.m., Final Gather 5:25 p.m. at the North Doors of the Palm Room.  Media should enter the complex through the North West Gate on Pennsylvania Ave at Jackson Place)

Media RSVP: Media who wish to cover the President’s remarks to the NCAA champion student athletes should RSVP with their full name, date of birth, social security number and country of citizenship to media_affairs@who.eop.gov by 12:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 10.  Please note that NO RSVPs can be accepted after this time.  Also note that space is extremely limited and not all requests for credentials can be accommodated.  Further details on logistics and timing will be released to credentialed media in the coming days. 

Some of the schools and teams invited to attend the September 13 event include:
Augusta State University Men’s Golf
Boston College Men’s Ice Hockey
Duke University Men’s Lacrosse
Fairleigh Dickinson University Women’s Bowling
Oklahoma State University Men’s Cross Country
Pennsylvania State University Women’s Volleyball
Pennsylvania State University Men’s & Women’s Fencing
Stanford University Men’s Volleyball
Stanford University Women’s Tennis
Texas A&M University, College Station Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
Texas Christian University Men’s & Women’s Rifle
University of California, Los Angeles Softball
University of California Los Angeles Women’s Gymnastics
University of Denver Men’s & Women’s Skiing
University of Florida Men’s Indoor Track and Field
University of Florida Women’s Swimming and Diving
University of Illinois Wheel Chair Basketball
University of Iowa Wrestling
University of Maryland, College Park Women’s Lacrosse
University of Michigan Men’s Gymnastics
University of Minnesota Duluth Women’s Ice Hockey
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Field Hockey
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Women’s Soccer
University of Oregon Women’s Indoor Track and Field
University of South Carolina Baseball
University of Southern California Men’s Tennis
University of Southern California Men’s Water Polo
University of Southern California Women’s Water Polo
University of Texas at Austin Men’s Swimming and Diving
University of Virginia Men’s Soccer
University of Virginia Women’s Rowing
Villanova University Women’s Cross Country
Villanova University Football