Women Built the 2018 Midterm Blue Wave — but the Last One Washed Them Out

Akela Lacy


Twenty-seven years ago, Anita Hill sat before a Senate committee and explained that then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her. At the time, only two women served in the upper chamber, and neither were on the Judiciary Committee.

The optics of Hill’s hearing, along with the events that led up to and followed it, drove a record number of women to action — and into the Senate.
In 1992, the year following the hearing, now famously known as the “Year of the Woman,” Americans voted four women into the Senate. That constituted a historic, 100 percent increase in the number of sitting women senators:
Barbara Mikulski’s re-election pushed the total to seven (North Dakota’s first female senator Jocelyn Burdick, appointed to fill her husband’s seat after he died, did not run for re-election). That included the first African-American woman to serve in the chamber, Carol Moseley Braun. And it wasn’t just the upper chamber: The number of women in the House almost doubled from 30 to 48.

Amid another era of historic reckoning with sexual harassment and hostility toward women in the workplace, men are again falling out of positions of power. The #MeToo movement has taken down some 200 men from the worlds of government, corporations, and media. And women have been replacing them, almost one for one.

In politics, that’s a fact most evident in the massive number of women — 589 — who have run, or said they’ll run, in races this year for the Senate, House, and governor’s mansions.

Yet the wave of women candidates is not always what it seems. Election observers tend to conflate the advancement of women in electoral politics with Democratic gains. While women are certainly, if slowly, increasing their numbers in the legislative branch and across statehouses, the correlation between Democratic victories and victories for women hasn’t always been as strong as many think. This is true even in recent elections, as this year’s momentum for a clutch of Republican women shows.

Though Democratic women have historically outnumbered their Republican counterparts, blue waves like the one that came to pass Tuesday excluded women more often than not.

People forget what happened in 2006.
Americans were beginning to sour on the Iraq War in large numbers, and swing voters who backed President George W. Bush in 2004 were moving to support Democrats.

EMILY’s List, the well-known Democratic political action committee that supports pro-choice women, endorsed 43 candidates for Senate, House, and gubernatorial races. Nineteen won — four senators, 12 representatives, and three governors. In total that year, 148 women were elected to Congress, and six became governors. The push put Nancy Pelosi in the seat of the speaker of the House — the first woman to hold the position.

Pundits and analysts memorialized the win as a teachable moment for Democrats. It was a replicable model. The party picked up 32 seats and flipped both the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years, despite criticisms that the candidates who won were too centrist. Naftali Bendavid’s popular book, “The Thumpin’,” chronicled the then-chair of the moderate Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rahm Emanuel’s successful strategy.

These pundits, though, miss one point.

While a record number of women served in the 110th session of Congress — as has been the case each Congress since — the legislative branch was still overwhelmingly male. In 2006, Americans elected eight men and two women — Amy Klobuchar and Claire McCaskill — to begin new terms in the Senate, bringing the chamber total to 84 men and 16 women. Of 53 newly elected representatives, 10 were women, bringing the House total to 361 men, almost five times the number of women at 74.

In 40 districts rated as competitive in 2006, men won all but eight of the seats between the parties — two of those went to Republican women. The majority that came in was also male-dominated: Women who mounted primary challenges that year were all but completely wiped out.

This year, women challenged their male counterparts in record numbers. “The women who are running are very well aware of the fact that they could lose,” said Julie McClain, EMILY’s List campaign communications director.
“EMILY’s List exists because we believe you get better policy outcomes when you have more women at decision-making tables across the country, at every level of government,” she said. “With more women running, you will get more women winning.”

Still, there are reasons — especially in 2018 — for people who want to see women in power, and not just in the Capitol, to be reasonably optimistic.
While Democratic waves haven’t always included women, what has endured is the growing number of women in the pipeline. “What we find so exciting about this cycle is that we’ve had more women than ever before, by several degrees, 1,000 degrees, reaching out to us for help running for office,” McClain said. “Both this year, but for cycles to come. Women who are making running for office part of their life plans.”

This year’s surge is an equal reflection of grassroots momentum that’s been building for decades, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., told The Intercept.

“Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the first African-American woman elected to Congress, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm,” Lee said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “She was elected 50 years ago on November 5. And we worked with a variety of women around the country to lift her legacy up and to encourage women, and African-American women, to run for office, to be involved in campaigns and in get-out-the-vote efforts.”

Lee pointed out that four women are poised to chair important House committees, and that three of them are women of color. Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., are in line to chair, respectively, the House Financial Services, Small Business, Science, Space and Technology, and Appropriations committees.

After Rep. Robert Brady’s retirement from Pennsylvania’s 1st District earlier this year, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., is technically next in line to chair the House Administration Committee. She also serves as ranking member on the powerful Judiciary Committee, which will almost certainly be chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. Lofgren’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
“We have an unheard of number, an unprecedented number of women of color running for state, local, and federal races this year,” Lee said. “And so I just think the moment is here where women say, ‘We’re not going back … and we’re going to run for public office,’” Lee said.

“I think it’s going to be women, really, quite frankly, who are going to take control of this country,” she continued. “Women are mounting races that are really unheard of. They’re smart, they have experience, and they’re bringing their perspective to policy, to their constituents, that has not been there. And they’re authentic.”

EMILY’s List followed the relative disappointment of 2006 by fervently backing Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House in 2008. Her eventual loss to Barack Obama in the Democratic primary sent the group looking for ways to regain its footing.

This year has changed all of that. The number of women in Congress is expected to reach another record at 117. At the time of publication, women won 96 seats in the House and 12 in the Senate, and nine women out of the 16 who ran are headed to governors’ mansions.

More than 250 women, including 83 incumbents, won primaries this year — 233 in the House and 22 in the Senate. And, according to McClain, hundreds more are waiting in the wings.

“We believe that with more women in Congress and more women in state legislatures, the way that we prioritize legislation will be more advantageous for women and families — which is sorely lacking,” she said.
At the state level, McClain continued, that means “adding more voices of women in other communities who have not always been equitably treated by their state and local governments.”

“By adding more women to the ranks of Congress, and then seeing more women who have been serving move up in the leadership,” she said, “we will see better policy outcomes.”

Black Women Stand to Lose the Most if Brett Kavanaugh Is Confirmed to the Supreme Court

By

Tamika Mallory

 

As a young adult, my grandmother told me horror stories about what life was like for black women before Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that made abortion legal in the U.S. If you had money, you had access to the services you needed. But for many of our grandmothers, aunts, and mothers, that was not their reality. These women were forced to back alleys and shady doctors to receive the care they so desperately needed. They could not afford much else.

 

From 1972 to 1974, the mortality rate for women of color due to illegal abortion was 12 times that of white women in New York City alone. The coat hanger was our gory reality, the DIY spirit of which lives on today for many women facing financial hardships.

Things are slightly better today, but we are still in a crisis. As a black woman in 2018's America, getting pregnant could literally kill me: Numerous studies point to a reproductive health crisis for black women. We’re dying during pregnancy and birth at higher rates than anyone else in America—numbers that mirror mortality rates in developing countries around the world.

 

Now, with the prospect that Brett Kavanaugh could be confirmed to the Supreme Court, it is possible that Roe v. Wade could be overturned, abortion could be outlawed, and life could become much, much worse for black women. Simply put: Black women have the most to lose if Kavanaugh is confirmed, and we will pay with our health and our lives.

 

As reported by Linda Villarosa in the New York Times, Zoë Carpenter in The Nation, and Renee Montagne at NPR, experts believe pregnancy is more dangerous for black women because of the stress of enduring racism in America. Other factors include having less access to resources because of that racism, as well as healthcare providers that take our symptoms and pain less seriously because of their unconscious bias against black women.

Regardless of why pregnancy is more dangerous for black women, the facts remain that it is more dangerous. Forcing us to bear pregnancies we don’t want—as would happen if Kavanaugh is confirmed—would likely exacerbate what has become a life or death situation for us.

In this way, exceptional wealth means nothing. Even billionaire Beyoncé recently shared a story about her difficulties during childbirth, following a similar story from rockstar athlete Serena Williams. Black women, no matter what their income level, are struggling to get access to high-quality care under our current system.

 

The Supreme Court is expected to function as a way to ensure and preserve justice for all Americans, but black women have never been able to count on our nation’s highest judges to defend and protect us. Brett Kavanaugh would shamefully worsen this problem. (Donald Trump vowed to tap only pro-life judges to the Supreme Court.) Our society still fails to recognize the abuse of black and brown bodies on which this nation was founded—and even more so, the violent control and degradation of black women’s bodies and lives. Throughout the 20th century, government agencies were targeting women of color for sterilization. From 1929 to 1974, North Carolina’s eugenics program aimed to stop poor people or people with mental illness from reproducing, but a disproportionate amount of the women ultimately targeted were black women.

 

For generations, the women who came before us have fought back and resisted this anti-black and anti-woman state violence in any way they could. We owe it to them—and to the women who will come after us—to do the same.

Collective liberation requires reproductive justice, defined by the National Black Women’s Reproductive Agenda as the human right to control our bodies, our sexuality, our gender, our work, and our reproduction—something we’ve historically been denied. Attaining these rights involve real access to preventative services, cultural competency training for health providers to address the bias that is killing black women, and allowing all women, especially women of color, to have a voice on policies that affect our ability to thrive.

 

It’s time for a reset. My organization, Women’s March, spent all of August calling on women to show up at their senators’ offices in their home states and remind them who voted them into office. We’ve continued to collect signatures and hand-deliver wire hangers to senators as a reminder of what women have been forced to do when denied the right to choose, and what women who never had any choice because of their race and economic status are still forced to do. On August 26, Women’s Equality Day, we worked with a coalition of progressive groups to organize rallies across the nation where women could echo our shared demand that the Senate keep this anti-woman candidate off our nation’s highest court.

 

On September 4, when SCOTUS confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh begin, a coalition of 20 women’s organizations will take this resistance from district offices to Washington, D.C. We will look our senators in the eyes as they prepare to vote and leave them with no doubt that women across America are watching. We’re taking action to #CancelKavanaugh, because we can’t afford to roll back rights women have worked for a generation to secure.

If the Senate puts Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, they’re giving him free rein to gut Roe v. Wade, criminalize abortion, and punish women for making choices about our own bodies. And they’re leaving us with no other choice than to disobey.

 

Black women have never shied away from taking action when our lives and those of our loved ones are on the line. We show up for everyone, and now we need members of the Senate—and women everywhere—to show up for us. Whether you feel you’ll be personally affected or not, it’s time to raise our voices until it is a rousing cry echoing in every corner, every neighborhood, every city in our nation.

Texas abortion bill sponsor doesn’t know what a rape kit is

Jodie Laubenberg thinks rape kits are the same thing as abortions, says they allow women to "get cleaned out"

By Katie Mcdonough  Source:Salon

Leaflets printed with Bible verses littered the desks of Texas lawmakers early Monday as House Republicans voted to approve a sweeping abortion measure that, if passed, would shutter 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics.

Senate bill 5 aims to ban abortion after 20 weeks, force clinic doctors to hold admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and restrict abortions to surgical centers, measures that opponents say will virtually outlaw the procedure in the state and deny thousands of women vital medical care.

“If this passes, abortion would be virtually banned in the state of Texas, and many women could be forced to resort to dangerous and unsafe measures,” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement. The Texas Medical Association, the Texas Hospital Association and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also oppose the measure.

Hundreds of protesters filled the Capitol building on Sunday to voice their opposition to the measure, while House Democrats tried to delay the vote by drawing out the debate and adding amendments to alter the bill.

As reported by Chris Tomlinson at the Associated Press, one such amendment would have called for an exemption to the ban in cases of rape and incest; state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, felt such an exception was unnecessary because “in the emergency room they have what’s called rape kits where a woman can get cleaned out,” she said, incorrectly comparing the procedure to collect physical evidence after a sexual assault to an abortion. “The woman had five months to make that decision, at this point we are looking at a baby that is very far along in its development.”

Following the exchange, Laubenberg, who is also the bill’s sponsor and a member of the state’s public health committee, rejected all proposed changes to the measure. House Republicans then forced a vote. The measure passed 97-33.

Senate Democrats said they will try to stage a filibuster until the special legislative session ends at midnight Tuesday night.

President Obama Makes a National Security Personnel Announcement (Video/Transcript)

Rose Garden

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please, everybody have a seat.  Well, good afternoon.  It is a beautiful day, and it's good to see so many friends here.
Of all the jobs in government, leading my national security team is certainly one of the most demanding, if not the most demanding.  And since the moment I took office, I've counted on the exceptional experience and insights of Tom Donilon.  Nearly every day for the past several years I've started each morning with Tom leading the presidential daily brief, hundreds of times, a sweeping assessment of global developments and the most pressing challenges.  As my National Security Advisor his portfolio is literally the entire world.

He has definitely advanced our strategic foreign policy initiatives while at the same time having to respond to unexpected crises, and that happens just about every day.  He's overseen and coordinated our entire national security team across the government, a Herculean task.  And it's non-stop -- 24/7, 365 days a year.

Today, I am wistful to announce that after more than four years of extraordinary service, Tom has decided to step aside at the beginning of July.  And I am extraordinarily proud to announce my new National Security Advisor, our outstanding Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice -- (applause) -- as well as my nominee to replace Susan in New York, Samantha Power.  (Applause.)

When I first asked Tom to join my team, I knew I was getting one of our nation's premier foreign policy leaders, somebody with a deep sense of history and a keen understanding of our nation's place in the world.  He shared my view that in order to renew American leadership for the 21st century, we had to fundamentally rebalance our foreign policy.  And more than that, he knew how we could do it.

See, Tom is that rare combination of the strategic and the tactical.  He has a strategic sense of where we need to go, and he has a tactical sense of how to get there.

Moreover, Tom’s work ethic is legendary.  He began his public service in the Carter White House when he was just 22 years old -- and, somehow, he has been able to maintain the same drive, and the same stamina, and the same enthusiasm and reverence for serving in government.  He has helped shape every single national security policy of my presidency -- from forging a new national security strategy rooted in our economic strength here at home to ending the war in Iraq.  Here at the White House, Tom oversaw the operation that led us to bin Laden.  He’s helped keep our transition on track as we wind down the war in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Tom has played a critical role as we’ve bolstered the enduring pillars of American power -- strengthening our alliances, from Europe to Asia; enhancing our relationship with key powers; and moving ahead with new trade agreements and energy partnerships.  And from our tough sanctions on Iran to our unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation with Israel -- (baby cries) -- it’s true --  (laughter) -- from New START with Russia to deeper partnerships with emerging powers like India, to stronger ties with the Gulf states, Tom has been instrumental every step of the way.

I’m especially appreciative to Tom for helping us renew American leadership in the Asia Pacific, where so much of our future security and prosperity will be shaped.  He has worked tirelessly to forge a constructive relationship with China that advances our interests and our values.  And I’m grateful that Tom will be joining me as I meet with President Xi of China this week.
And finally, Tom, I am personally grateful for your advice, for your counsel, and most of all for your friendship.  Whenever we sit down together -- whether it’s in the Oval Office or the Situation Room -- I do so knowing that you have led a rigorous process:  that you’ve challenged assumptions, that you’ve asked the tough questions, that you’ve led an incredibly hard-working national security staff, and presented me with a range of options to advance our national interests.  A President can’t ask for anything more than that, and this is a testament to your incredible professionalism, but also your deep love of country.

I know that this relentless pace has meant sacrifices for your family -- for Cathy, who is here, Dr. Biden’s former Chief of Staff, who I was proud to nominate as our new Global Ambassador for Women; and for Tom and Cathy’s wonderful children, Sarah and Teddy.  So today, I want to publicly thank all the Donilons for their abiding commitment to public service that runs through the family.  (Applause.)

You’ve been with me every step of the way these past four years, and the American people owe you an enormous debt of gratitude for everything that you’ve done.  You’ve helped to restore our nation’s prestige and standing in the world.  You’ve positioned us well to continue to lead in the years ahead.  I think that Tom Donilon has been one of the most effective national security advisors our country has ever had, and he’s done so without a lot of fanfare and a lot of fuss.  So, Tom, on behalf of us all, thank you for your extraordinary service.  (Applause.)

Now, I am proud that this work will be carried on by another exemplary public servant -- Ambassador Susan Rice.  (Applause.)  Susan was a trusted advisor during my first campaign for President.  She helped to build my foreign policy team and lead our diplomacy at the United Nations in my first term.  I’m absolutely thrilled that she’ll be back at my side, leading my national security team in my second term.

With her background as a scholar, Susan understands that there is no substitute for American leadership.  She is at once passionate and pragmatic.  I think everybody understands Susan is a fierce champion for justice and human dignity, but she’s also mindful that we have to exercise our power wisely and deliberately.

Having served on the National Security Council staff herself, she knows how to bring people together around a common policy and then push it through to completion -- so that we’re making a difference where it matters most, here in the country that we have pledged to defend, and in the daily lives of the people we’re trying to help around the world.

Having served as an Assistant Secretary of State, she knows our policies are stronger when we harness the views and talents of people across government.  So Susan is the consummate public servant -- a patriot who puts her country first.  She is fearless; she is tough.  She has a great tennis game and a pretty good basketball game.  (Laughter.)  Her brother is here, who I play with occasionally, and it runs in the family -- throwing the occasional elbow -- (laughter) -- but hitting the big shot.

As our Ambassador to the U.N., Susan has been a tireless advocate in advancing our interests.  She has reinvigorated American diplomacy, in New York.  She has helped to put in place tough sanctions on Iran and North Korea.  She has defended Israel.  She has stood up for innocent civilians, from Libya to Cote d’Ivoire.  She has supported an independent South Sudan.  She has raised her voice for human rights, including women’s rights.

Put simply, Susan exemplifies the finest tradition of American diplomacy and leadership.  So thank you, Susan, for being willing to take on this next assignment.  I'm absolutely confident that you're going to hit the ground running.  And I know that after years of commuting to New York while Ian, Jake and Maris stayed here in Washington, you will be the first person ever in this job who will see their family more by taking the National Security Advisor's job.

(Applause.)

Now, normally I'd be worried about losing such an extraordinary person up at the United Nations and be trying to figure out how are we ever going to replace her.  But fortunately, I'm confident we've got an experienced, effective and energetic U.N. ambassador-in-waiting in Samantha Power.

Samantha first came to work for me in 2005, shortly after I became a United States senator, as one of our country's leading journalists; I think she won the Pulitzer Prize at the age of 15 or 16.  One of our foremost thinkers on foreign policy, she showed us that the international community has a moral responsibility and a profound interest in resolving conflicts and defending human dignity.

As a senior member of my national security team, she has been a relentless advocate for American interests and values, building partnerships on behalf of democracy and human rights, fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism and combatting human trafficking.  To those who care deeply about America’s engagement and indispensable leadership in the world, you will find no stronger advocate for that cause than Samantha.

And over the last four years, Samantha has worked hand-in-glove with Susan in her role because Samantha has been the lead White House staffer on issues related to the United Nations.  And I'm fully confident she will be ready on day one to lead our mission in New York while continuing to be an indispensable member of my national security team.

She knows the U.N.'s strengths.  She knows its weaknesses.  She knows that American interests are advanced when we can rally the world to our side.  And she knows that we have to stand up for the things that we believe in.  And to ensure that we have the principled leadership we need at the United Nations, I would strongly urge the Senate to confirm her without delay.

So, Samantha, thank you.  To Cass, and you, and Declan and Rian for continuing to serve our country.

This team of people has been extraordinarily dedicated to America.  They have made America safer.  They have made America's values live in corners of the world that are crying out for our support and our leadership.  I could not be prouder of these three individuals -- not only their intelligence, not only their savvy, but their integrity and their heart.

And I'm very, very proud to have had the privilege of working with Tom.  I'm very proud that I'll continue to have the privilege of working with Samantha and with Susan.
So with that, I'd invite Tom to say a few words.  Tom.  (Applause.)

MR. DONILON:  Thank you, Mr. President.  You mentioned the many hours that we’ve worked together in the Situation Room, put together here by John Kennedy and without windows.

THE PRESIDENT:  No windows.

MR. DONILON:  No windows.  So I would first like to thank you for this rare opportunity to be outside and experience the natural light.  (Laughter.)

You also mentioned how I began my public service here under President Carter in 1977 when I was 22 years old.  And I still remember leaving at the end of the day, walking up West Executive Drive, past the office of then-National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, and looking up at the windows of the White House -- the light is always on in Zbig’s office, no matter how late.  And I’d think to myself, don’t those guys ever go home?  And now, these many years later, I finally have the answer -- no, they don’t go home very much, at least not as often or as early as their spouses and families would like.

Mr. President, to serve in this capacity where we’ve had the opportunity to protect and defend the United States, to improve the position of the United States in the world, has been the privilege of a lifetime.  To serve during your presidency, however, is to serve during one of the defining moments in our nation’s history.  This is because of your vision, your principled leadership, your commitment to defending our interests and upholding our ideals.

Those many hours of meetings and briefings have given me the opportunity to see you as few people do:  behind closed doors, away from the cameras, when a leader’s character is revealed.  And with your permission, I’d like to take this opportunity to share a little bit of what I’ve seen.

First, I’ve seen you make the most difficult decisions a Commander-in-Chief can make -- the decision to send our men and women in uniform into harm’s way.  I’ve seen the great care with which you have weighed these grave decisions and I’ve seen your devotion to the families of our men and women in uniform.

I have seen your fierce patriotism, your love of our country.  When confronted with competing agendas and interests, you always bring the discussion back to one question:  What’s in the national interest, what’s best for America?  I’ve seen your abiding commitment to the core values that define us as Americans, our Constitution, civil liberties, the rule of law.  Time and time again, you have reminded us that our decisions must stand up to the judgment of history.

Finally, Mr. President, I’ve seen you represent the United States around the world and what you mean to the people around the world when you represent our country.  When you step off that plane with the words, “United States of America”, when you reach out to foreign audiences and speak to the basic aspirations we share as human beings, you send a clear message that America wants to be their partner.  And that ability to connect, to forge new bonds, is a form of American power and influence that advocates our interests and ideals as well.

To Vice President Biden and Jill, Cathy and I have considered you dear friends for more than 30 years, and it has been an honor to make this journey with you.

To my colleagues and friends here at the White House and across the government, the American people will never truly know how hard you work in their defense.

To my long-time partners in the senior leadership of the National Security Council -- Denis McDonough, John Brennan, Tony Blinken, Lisa Monaco, Mike Froman, Ben Rhodes, and Brian McKeon.  I could not have asked for better brothers or sisters in this effort.

To you and all our remarkable national security staff, you're a national treasure.  And every day you get up, you come here -- you devote your days to keeping our country secure.  You are the best our nation has to offer, and it's been an honor and a privilege to serve with each and every one of you.  And I'm glad so many of you are here today.  (Applause.)

And to my friends and colleagues -- Susan and Sam -- congratulations, the nation is fortunate to have leaders of your intellect, compassion, character, and determination.  Susan, you'll be an outstanding National Security Advisor.  Sam, you'll be an outstanding Ambassador to the United Nations.  And we really appreciate your willingness to do this.  (Applause.)
Finally, and most importantly, to Cathy, Sarah and Teddy -- as the President said, this job has meant great sacrifices for you.  And each of you in your way has made a contribution to the country.  And I could not be more grateful.

So again, Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity -- the extraordinary opportunity to serve you and to serve our nation.  I stand here -- 36 years ago, almost to the day when I first came on the 18 acres of the White House to come to work, and I must tell you I leave this position much less cynical and never more optimistic about our country and its future.  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  (Applause.)

Susan.

AMBASSADOR RICE:  Mr. President, thank you so much.  I'm deeply honored and humbled to serve our country as your National Security Advisor.  I'm proud to have worked so closely with you for more than six years.  And I'm deeply grateful for your enduring confidence in me.
As you've outlined, we have vital opportunities to seize and ongoing challenges to confront.  We have much still to accomplish on behalf of the American people.  And I look forward to continuing to serve on your national security team to keep our nation strong and safe.

Tom, it's been a real honor to work with you again.  You have led with great dedication, smarts, and skill, and you leave a legacy of enormous accomplishment.  All of us around the principals’ table will miss you.  And I wish you and Cathy, and your family, all the very best.
Above all, I want to thank my own wonderful family for their unfailing support -- my mother, Lois; my wonderful husband, Ian; our children Jake and Maris; and my brother, John, have all been my strength and my greatest source of humor.  I'm also thinking today about my late father, who would have loved to be here.  I'm forever grateful to my family for their love and sacrifice.

I want to thank my remarkable colleagues at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.  I am so proud of the work we've done together under your leadership, Mr. President, to advance America's interests at the United Nations.

And, Samantha, my friend -- warmest congratulations.  You're a tremendous colleague, and the United States will be extremely well served by your leadership at the United Nations.  And I'm so glad we get to continue to work together.

Mr. President, having participated in the national security decision-making process over the last four years, I admire the exemplary work done every day by our colleagues at State, Defense, the intelligence community, and across the government to make our nation more secure.  I look forward to working closely with you, your extraordinary national security team, our country's most experienced leaders from both parties, and your superb national security staff to protect the United States, advance our global leadership, and promote the values Americans hold dear.

Thank you very much.

Sam.  (Applause.)

MS. POWER:  Thank you, Mr. President.  From the day I met you and you told me that you had spent a chunk of your vacation reading a long, dark book on genocide -- (laughter) -- I knew you were a different kind of leader, and I knew I wanted to work for you.

It has been my privilege here at the White House to serve you, and it would be the honor of a lifetime to fight for American values and interests at the United Nations.  Now that I have two small children, Declan and Rian -- somewhere -- the stakes feel even higher.

Thank you, Tom and Susan.  I consider myself immensely fortunate these last four years to have collaborated with both of you.  There are two no more dedicated professionals on this Earth, no more strategic stewards of our foreign policy than these two individuals.  And I'm honored and immensely humbled to share the stage with you.

I moved to the United States from Ireland when I -- with my parents, who are here -- when I was 9 years old.  I remember very little about landing in Pittsburgh, except that I was sure I was at the largest airport in the history of the world.  I do remember what I was wearing -- a red, white and blue stars and stripes t-shirt.  It was the t-shirt I always wore in Ireland on special occasions.

Even as a little girl with a thick Dublin accent who had never been to America, I knew that the American flag was the symbol of fortune and of freedom.  But I quickly came to learn that to find opportunity in this country, one didn’t actually need to wear the flag, one just needed to try to live up to it.

For the next three months, I came home from school every day, as my mother can attest, my dad can attest, and I sat in front of the mirrors for hours, straining to drop my brogue so that I, too, could quickly speak and be American.

Not long ago, my husband, Cass Sunstein, came across a letter written toward the end of World War II by his father, Dick Sunstein, who was a Navy lieutenant.  Dick had happened to stop briefly in San Francisco after his two years fighting for this country in the Pacific, and he wrote to his family on April 25th, 1945, the very day that the nations of the world were coming together in San Francisco to establish the new United Nations.

And in this letter to my mother-in-law, who I never had the chance to meet, he wrote, excitedly, “Conference starts today.  The town is going wild with excitement.  It is a pleasure to be here for the opening few days.  Let’s pray that they accomplish something.”

Let’s pray that they accomplish something.  The question of what the United Nations can accomplish for the world and for the United States remains a pressing one.  I have seen U.N. aid workers enduring shellfire to deliver food to the people of Sudan.  Yet I’ve also see U.N.
peacekeepers fail to protect the people of Bosnia.  As the most powerful and inspiring country on this Earth, we have a critical role to play in insisting that the institution meet the necessities of our time.  It can do so only with American leadership.

It would be an incomparable privilege to earn the support of the Senate and to play a role in this essential effort, one on which our common security and common humanity depend.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks at a Joining Forces Hiring Event

Mayport Naval Station
Mayport, Florida

1:35 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all so much.  Please be seated.  Forgot you all take orders really well.  (Laughter.)  I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you today at Naval Station Mayport.  And I want to start by thanking Paul for that very kind and, for me, moving introduction.  And I also want to thank Vice Admiral Van Buskirk for his remarks as well today and for his strong leadership in America’s Navy.

And I also want to recognize a couple of people who are here -- Representative Brown for her service.  I understand the Mayor is here as well.  But I also want to thank Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris and his wife, Cora; Captain Douglas Cochrane and his wife, Anne; as well as Command Master Chief Robert White and his wife, Lesley.  Thank you for hosting us here today.

But most of all, I want to thank all of you, our extraordinary men and women in uniform and veterans, and your extraordinary families. 

I know that we’re being broadcast live into every U.S. military base –- here in America and around the world –- and we’ve got folks tuning in from as close by as Tampa and Pensacola, and as far away as Kabul and Seoul.  And on behalf of myself and my husband, I want to start off by saying that we are so proud of your service and so grateful for your sacrifice. 

You all -- and I say this time and time again, and I mean it every time I say it -- you all are the very best of America.  You all have given so much to this country.  And I’m here today because I want to talk with you about what this country is doing to give back to all of you. 

As you all may know, last August -- I think you saw a video -- my husband issued a challenge to American businesses.  He challenged them to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.  And since Jill Biden and I launched Joining Forces, he asked the two of us to take the lead on working with companies to fulfill this challenge.  And I have to admit, when you get an order from the President, it’s a little daunting, even if he is your husband.  (Laughter.) 

So I was a little nervous, and I thought this challenge was pretty ambitious.  And when we first started out, we only had two companies as our partners, and I wondered to myself how we were going to get from there to 100,000 new jobs in two years.

But, fortunately, I didn’t have much time to sit around and worry, because before long, companies across this country started stepping up -- big companies like Siemens and Sears; small businesses like tech startups and restaurants and transportation providers.  And soon, those two companies became 20, and then 200, and then 2,000.

And by mid-March, these companies had already hired 50,000 veterans and military spouses.  By mid-April, it was 60,000.  By May, we had 80,000.  And today, I am so proud to announce that these 2,000 companies have not just met our challenge -- they’ve exceeded it. 

As of today, they have hired or trained 125,000 veterans and military spouses –- 125,000.  (Applause.)  And they’ve done it more than a year ahead of schedule.  That’s pretty impressive. 

And it would be understandable if these companies just stopped now and patted themselves on the back for a job well done and called it a day.  But instead, these companies are doing just the opposite –- they’re doubling down on their commitment to all of you.  And today, they’re pledging to hire or train another quarter of a million of our nation’s heroes -- a quarter of a million -- 250,000 -– including at least 50,000 military spouses. (Applause.)

I want to send a very clear message to the men and women who are wearing or who have worn our country’s uniform, and to their spouses:  When you have finished your service to our nation, you have got 2,000 great American companies ready and waiting to bring you on board. 

Because the truth is, they know, they’ve learned what you all have to offer.  And I can’t say this enough.  These companies are not making these commitments just because it’s the right thing to do -- which it is -- they’re doing this because it’s the smart thing to do for their bottom lines.  I think the CEO of Sears put it best when he said at one of our events -- and this is a quote -- he said, "The men and women of our military, their spouses and their families are some of the most gifted, talented employees that we have in the company."   That's what he said based on his experience.

And that’s a story that we have heard thousands of times over, because these companies know that if you can repair a helicopter engine in Mayport, if you can coordinate thousands of pounds of supplies being delivered to villages across Afghanistan, then clearly, you have what it takes for a manufacturing or a logistics job right here in the U.S.  

If you can work with sophisticated radar that guide high-speed missiles into other places, outer space, if you can operate complex communications systems from a tent in a desert, then clearly, you’re ready to succeed in our high-tech industries here at home.

If you can work with people from all different cultures and backgrounds, if you can lead dozens, even hundreds of your peers in life-or-death missions, then clearly, you’ve got the management and interpersonal skills that we need in every sector of this economy.

So make no mistake about it, you all have the talent, you’ve got the training and the experience to lead America’s economic comeback, and America’s businesses understand that.  And that's why they’ve stepped up so readily to answer this call.  That’s why they’re hiring folks like all of you every day all across this country.

And that’s part of the reason why the unemployment rate for veterans has been dropping.  And so far this year, the number of unemployed veterans is nearly 20 percent lower than it was a year ago.  So we are moving in the right direction.  But let’s be very clear that we are nowhere near where we need to be -- nowhere near.  When it comes to employment for our veterans and military spouses, we have still got a long way to go. 

So while our businesses are doing their part, my husband is making sure that our government is doing its part, as well.  That’s why he’s proposed a Veterans Job Corps, investing $1 billion to help our veterans become police officers, EMTs and other jobs serving our communities here at home.  And last year, he signed two new tax credits to make it easier for businesses to create jobs for veterans, including wounded warriors -– and he’s fighting to extend those credits before they expire at the end of this year.

And to make sure that you all know about all the jobs being created, we’ve worked with companies like Google and Linkedin to create the Veterans Job Bank.  Now, this is a website where companies who want to hire veterans can post their jobs.  And you all can find it, anyone listening, you can right to nrd.gov.

There are now more than 1 million jobs posted on that site  –- 1 million jobs today, right now, along with the skills translator, special software that takes your military specialty  -– your NEC -– and it shows you what jobs would be a good fit for you in the civilian world.  So that website is out there, and it’s available for everyone who is watching.

And finally, we’re making it easier for our military spouses to actually get these jobs by challenging all 50 states to help them transfer their professional licenses when they move from state to state.  Because if you’re a nurse or a teacher or a real estate agent or a dental hygienist, or have one of the many jobs that require a professional license, we know that you shouldn’t have to face a new licensing effort -- new fees, new paperwork and red tape every time your family moves to a new state.  That's ridiculous.  And so far, 26 states have adopted measures to help military spouses transfer their licenses or more easily obtain new ones. 

And today, again, I want to renew our challenge to those remaining 24 states to find their own solutions to ensure that our military spouses can continue to provide for their families and practice the professions they love, because more than anything else, truly, that is the story of Joining Forces.  That’s why we started this effort -- because it’s the story of folks across this country stepping up and doing everything they can to serve all of you as well as you have served this country.
Whether it’s doctors and nurses improving treatment for PTSD and TBI, whether it’s teachers reaching out to our military kids, whether it’s TV shows like Sesame Street and organizations like NASCAR sharing the stories of military families, or people spending millions of hours serving veterans and military families in their communities, since we launched Joining Forces, what I have to just let you know is that not a single person that we’ve approached or talked to has ever told us that they couldn’t help. Not one.  Instead, they ask us, what more can I do, and what else can I do? 

And every day, we’re seeing the impact of these efforts in communities across this country –- in the military kids whose teachers finally understand what they’re going through; in veterans who are finally getting the quality care they’ve earned.
And today, we’re seeing it in 125,000 men and women who have now -- have the jobs and training they deserve -- 125,000 people who are providing for their families and contributing to our economy and continuing every day to serve the country they love.

And this is just the beginning.  We are only scratching the surface.  We’re just getting started.  And we’re not going to stop until all of our veterans know that when they hit that job market, their skills will be rewarded.  We won’t stop until all of our military spouses know that the next time their family is transferred, they won’t have to leave behind their professional lives.  And I won’t be satisfied -- nor will my husband -– until every single veteran and military spouse who wants a job has one. All of you deserve nothing less.  Nothing less.

So today, I want to once again thank you all.  Thank you for your service to our country.  You all make us so incredibly proud.  So let the work continue. 

Thank you all.  God bless.

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First Lady Michelle Obama Welcomes Kids to a Let’s Move! Event with the LA Galaxy (Video/Transcript)

MRS. OBAMA:  Hey, again, guys.  I got to hang out with the kids earlier.  We got quick pictures, but we are excited to have you guys here at the White House.  We’re in the State Room.  The State Dining Room is where we greet special official guests, and you guys count as our special official guests.  We’re excited to have you here.
I want to start by thanking all of you kids for joining us here at the White House today.  Tell me -- yell out -- tell me the organizations you’re representing -- somebody?  See, you guys are from all over the place -- some here, some from all over the country, right?
Well, thanks for coming and visiting us.  I also want to thank the members of the L.A. Galaxy soccer team for taking the time to come and answer some questions, and share some wisdom and some advice for all of you.  So let’s give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)
So as soccer players, you know who these guys are, don’t you?
CHILDREN:  Yes.
MRS. OBAMA:  They’re pretty cool, right?  They are some of the best soccer players in the entire country and the entire world.  Amazing, huh?  And they’re here!  They’re right there, they’re right there.
And I want to congratulate them -- join in with my husband in congratulating them on winning the third MLS Cup.  Very cool, very cool.
But one of the things I want you guys to remember -- all the kids here to remember, is that these stars were not born superstar athletes.  They weren’t superstar soccer players from the beginning.  In fact, many of them started out just like many of you -- playing on a team at school, or just kicking a ball around on the playground with their friends.  But they stuck with it.  And I tell this to my girls all the time.  I mean, you get to the point when there are things that you enjoy, they get to the point where they start getting hard -- that’s when you know you’re getting good, and you have to stick through it even when it starts getting hard.
For some of you, soccer has always been fun, will always be fun, but sometimes, when you start growing, you get to the point where you really have to work hard.  Well, they all hit that wall, and they stuck with it.  They practice for hours every day doing all their drills and scrimmages, doing everything that their coaches and mentors told them to do.  And that’s how they got to be national champions.  But remember, they didn’t do all of this just because they wanted to win their games.  Winning is great, right?  We all know how to win.  Winning is the easiest thing in the world to do.  But what is the toughest thing?  Is learning how to lose, right?
So they didn’t do it just to win.  They didn’t do it because they wanted to grow up to be famous.  They played soccer because they love the sport.  And they played because it was challenging and fun, and because it made they feel strong and healthy.  And that’s what sports like soccer are all about.  And they’re learning about new skills.  They’re learning how to compete.  They’re learning how to lose gracefully, how to win with dignity.  All of that stuff is important with sports.
And that’s one of the reasons why when the weather is nice -- because it was raining; we were supposed to be outside, but they said there were would be thunderstorms.  We’re usually outside.  We’ve been hosting all kinds of fitness activities and clinics on the South Lawn.  Have some of you guys participated in those?  Nobody has had -- I thought -- we’ve had -- (laughter) -- yes, we’ve had some fun on the South Lawn.  We were supposed out there today, but because they projected thunderstorms, we thought we wouldn’t have you out there getting struck by lightning.  That wouldn’t look good.  (Laughter.)  So we brought you inside.
But we’ve been hosting these clinics on the South Lawn, which is our backyard here at the White House, because we want to show kids just like you that there are all kinds of ways to be active, and that being active is also a whole lot of fun.  So a lot of what we do while there are soccer drills and things like that going on, we’re doing a lot of playing around and laughing, and realizing that that’s what being healthy is about.  It’s not always work; most of the time it’s a lot of fun.
And that’s also why in connection with the Olympic and Paralympic Games that are coming up -- you guys know about that?  You know that we’re going to be in London competing with teams all across the world.  You know that?  And I’m going to be leading the delegation.  I’m not playing a sport or anything -- (laughter) -- I am not an Olympian.  But I get to lead the delegation that represents the United States.
But as part of the Olympic Games, the U.S. Soccer Federation has made a really important commitment that I got to announce yesterday.  They’re going to be working to help increase opportunities for kids to get involved in a whole variety of sports, especially soccer.  Soccer has really stepped up.
They’re going to be hosting more clinics and more after-school programs in cities all across the country so that more kids like you get exposure to opportunities that maybe normally you wouldn’t, or it gives you even a little more excitement to get even more committed into your sport.
Because the Federation also knows and these guys up here know that being active and learning new skills doesn’t just help you become a better soccer player or a better athlete.  It gives you the energy that you need to keep you from getting sick, to do well in school, to be able to focus on your bigger dreams -- because there is life after soccer.  There is something more important than sports, and that’s becoming a well-rounded person.
And being healthy and eating the right foods, and staying active is a part of that.  And that’s what everybody here is trying to promote.  And that’s why I’m so pleased with our U.S. Olympic Federation and all the teams that have made a commitment to invest in kids like you across the country.
So that’s one of the reasons why we’re here.  But we’re also here because this team, these guys, they wanted to talk to you.  They’re here because they were getting congratulations from the President, but they also said they wanted to talk to kids just like you.  And I’m really pleased that you guys are so interested in taking the time not just to play the game but to spend time with young people, talking to them about a whole range of things.  So they are here for you.
And I’m going to leave and let them step up.  But feel free to ask them any kind of questions.  And I’ve already talked to you all -- you all are not shy.  None of them are.  Right?  So speak up, ask questions.  Ask about anything you have on your mind.  Don’t be nervous.  You’re at home.  And have fun, okay?  And keep playing hard, working hard, doing well in school, and eat your vegetables.  (Laughter.)  All right?
All right, I’m going to get out of here and let these guys take over.  Thanks so much.  (Applause.)

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