美国总统每周演讲文稿0910年.docx

美国总统每周演讲文稿0910年.docx

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美国总统每周演讲文稿0910年

2010.05.29

Thisweekend,aswecelebrateMemorialDay,familiesacrossAmericawillgatherinbackyardsandfrontporches,fireupthebarbeque,kickbackwithfriends,andspendtimewithpeopletheycareabout.Thatisasitshouldbe.ButIalsohopethatasyoudoso,you’lltakesometimetoreflectonwhatMemorialDayisallabout;onwhywesetthisdayasideasatimeofnationalremembrance.

It’sfittingeverydaytopaytributetothemenandwomenwhoweartheuniformoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Still,therearecertaindaysthathavebeensetasideforallofustodoso.VeteransDayisonesuchday–whenwearecalledtohonorAmericanswho’vefoughtunderourcountry’sflag.

OurcallingonMemorialDayisdifferent.Onthisday,wehonornotjustthosewho’vewornthiscountry’suniform,butthemenandwomenwho’vediedinitsservice;who’velaiddowntheirlivesindefenseoftheirfellowcitizens;who’vegiventheirlastfullmeasureofdevotiontoprotecttheUnitedStatesofAmerica.ThesearethemenandwomenIwillbehonoringthisweekend,andIknowmanyofyouaredoingthesame.

ThereareanynumberofreasonsAmericaemergedfromitshumblebeginningsasaclusterofcoloniestobecomethemostprosperous,mostpowerfulnationonearth.Thereisthehardwork,theresilience,andthecharacterofourpeople.Thereistheingenuityandenterprisingspiritofourentrepreneursandinnovators.Therearetheidealsofopportunity,equality,andfreedomthathavenotonlyinspiredourpeopletoperfectourownunion,butinspiredotherstoperfecttheirsaswell.

Butfromtheverystart,therewasalsosomethingmore.Asteadfastcommitmenttoserve,tofight,andifnecessary,todie,topreserveAmericaandadvancetheidealswecherish.It’sacommitmentwitnessedateachdefiningmomentalongthejourneyofthiscountry.It’swhatledarag-tagmilitiatofaceBritishsoldiersatLexingtonandConcord.It’swhatledyoungmen,inacountrydividedhalfslaveandhalffree,totakeuparmstosaveourunion.It’swhatledpatriotsineachgenerationtosacrificetheirownlivestosecurethelifeofournation,fromthetrenchesofWorldWarItothebattlesofWorldWarII,fromInchonandKheSanh,fromMosultoMarjah.

Thatcommitment–thatwillingnesstolaydowntheirlivessowemightinherittheblessingsofthisnation–iswhatwehonortoday.ButonthisMemorialDay,asoneveryday,wearecalledtohonortheirultimatesacrificewithmorethanwords.Wearecalledtohonorthemwithdeeds.

Wearecalledtohonorthembydoingourpartforthelovedonesourfallenheroeshaveleftbehindandlookingafterourmilitaryfamilies.Bymakingsurethemenandwomenservingthiscountryaroundtheworldhavethesupporttheyneedtoachievetheirmissionsandcomehomesafely.Bymakingsureveteranshavethecareandassistancetheyneed. Inshort,byservingallthosewhohaveeverworntheuniformofthiscountry–andtheirfamilies–aswellastheyhaveservedus.

OnApril25,1866,aboutayearaftertheCivilWarended,agroupofwomenvisitedacemeteryinColumbus,Mississippi,toplaceflowersbythegravesofConfederatesoldierswhohadfallenatShiloh.Astheydid,theynoticedothergravesnearby,belongingtoUniondead.Butnoonehadcometovisitthosegraves,orplaceaflowerthere.Sotheydecidedtolayafewstemsforthosementoo,inrecognitionnotofafallenConfederateorafallenUnionsoldier,butafallenAmerican.

Afewyearslater,anorganizationofCivilWarveteransestablishedwhatbecameMemorialDay,selectingadatethatcoincidedwiththetimewhenflowerswereinbloom.Sothisweekend,aswecommemorateMemorialDay,Iaskyoutoholdallourfallenheroesinyourhearts,andifyoucan,tolayaflowerwheretheyhavecometorest.

2010.05.21

Onemonthagothisweek,BP’sDeepwaterHorizondrillingrigexplodedoffLouisiana’scoast,killing11peopleandrupturinganunderwaterpipe.TheresultingoilspillhasnotonlydealtaneconomicblowtoAmericansacrosstheGulfCoast,italsorepresentsanenvironmentaldisaster. 

Inresponse,wearedrawingonAmerica’sbestmindsandusingtheworld’sbesttechnologytostoptheleak.We’vedeployedover1,100vessels,about24,000personnel,andmorethan2milliontotalfeetofboomtohelpcontainit.Andwe’redoingallwecantoassiststrugglingfishermen,andthesmallbusinessesandcommunitiesthatdependonthem.

FolksontheGulfCoast–andacrossAmerica–arerightlydemandingswiftactiontocleanupBP’smessandendthisordeal.Butthey’realsodemandingtoknowhowthishappenedinthefirstplace,andhowwecanmakesureitneverhappensagain.That’swhatI’dliketospendafewminutestalkingwithyouabout.

Firstandforemost,whatledtothisdisasterwasabreakdownofresponsibilityonthepartofBPandperhapsothers,includingTransoceanandHalliburton.Andwewillcontinuetoholdtherelevantcompaniesaccountablenotonlyforbeingforthcomingandtransparentaboutthefactssurroundingtheleak,butforshuttingitdown,repairingthedamageitdoes,andrepayingAmericanswho’vesufferedafinancialloss.

ButevenaswecontinuetoholdBPaccountable,wealsoneedtoholdWashingtonaccountable.Now,thiscatastropheisunprecedentedinitsnature,anditpresentsahostofnewchallengesweareworkingtoaddress.Butthequestioniswhatlessonswecanlearnfromthisdisastertomakesureitneverhappensagain.

Ifthelawsonourbooksareinadequatetopreventsuchanoilspill,orifwedidn’tenforcethoselaws–Iwanttoknowit. Iwanttoknowwhatworkedandwhatdidn’tworkinourresponsetothedisaster,andwhereoversightoftheoilandgasindustrybrokedown.Weknow,forexample,thatacozyrelationshipbetweenoilandgascompaniesandagenciesthatregulatethemhaslongbeenasourceofconcern.

SecretaryoftheInteriorKenSalazarhastakenstepstoaddressthisproblem;stepsthatbuildonreformshehasbeenimplementingsincehetookoffice.Butweneedtodoalotmoretoprotectthehealthandsafetyofourpeople;tosafeguardthequalityofourairandwater;andtopreservethenaturalbeautyandbountyofAmerica.

Inrecentweeks,we’vetakenanumberofimmediatemeasurestopreventanotherspill. We’veorderedinspectionsofalldeepwateroperationsintheGulfofMexico. We’veannouncedthatnopermitsfordrillingnewwellswillgoforwarduntilthe30-daysafetyandenvironmentalreviewIrequestediscomplete. AndI’vecalledonCongresstopassabillthatwouldprovidecriticalfundsandtoolstorespondtothisspillandbetterprepareustoconfrontanyfuturespills.

Butwealsoneedtotakeacomprehensivelookathowtheoilandgasindustryoperatesandhowweregulatethem.Thatiswhy,onFriday,IsignedanexecutiveorderestablishingtheNationalCommissionontheBPDeepwaterHorizonOilSpillandOffshoreDrilling.Whilethereareanumberofongoinginvestigations,includinganindependentreviewbytheNationalAcademyofEngineering,thepurposeofthisCommissionistoconsiderboththerootcausesofthedisasterandofferoptionsonwhatsafetyandenvironmentalprecautionsweneedtotaketopreventasimilardisasterfromhappeningagain. ThisCommission,I’dnote,issimilartooneproposedbyCongresswomanCappsandSenatorWhitehouse.

I’veaskedDemocratBobGrahamandRepublicanBillReillytoco-chairthisCommission.BobservedtwotermsasFlorida’sgovernor,andrepresentedFloridaasaUnitedStatesSenatorforalmosttwodecades.Duringthattime,heearnedareputationasachampionoftheenvironment,leadingthemostextensiveenvironmentalprotectioneffortinthestate’shistory.

BillReillyischairmanemeritusoftheboardoftheWorldWildlifeFund,andheisalsodeeplyknowledgeableabouttheoilandgasindustry.DuringthepresidencyofGeorgeH.W.Bush,BillwasAdministratoroftheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,andhistenureencompassedtheExxonValdezdisaster.

Ican’tthinkoftwopeoplewhowillbringgreaterexperienceorbetterjudgmenttothetaskathand.Inthedaystocome,I’llappoint5otherdistinguishedAmericans–includingscientists,engineers,andenvironmentaladvocates–tojointhemontheCommission.AndI’mdirectingthemtoreportbackin6monthswithrecommendationsonhowwecanprevent–andmitigatetheimpactof–anyfuturespillsthatresultfromoffshoredrilling.

OneofthereasonsIranforPresidentwastoputAmericaonthepathtoenergyindependence,andIhavenotwaveredfromthatcommitment.Toachievethatgoal,wemustpursuecleanenergyandenergyefficiency,andwe’vetakensignificantstepstodoso.Andwemustalsopursuedomesticsourcesofoilandgas.Becauseitrepresents30percentofouroilproduction,theGulfofMexicocanplayanimportantpartinsecuringourenergyfuture.ButwecanonlypursueoffshoreoildrillingifwehaveassurancesthatadisasterliketheBPoilspillwillnothappenagain.ThisCommissionwill,Ihope,helpprovidethoseassurancessowecancontinuetoseekasecureenergyfuturefortheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

Thankssomuch.

2010.05.15

OnThursday,IpaidavisittoasmallbusinessinBuffalo,NewYork,atownthat’sbeenhardhitinrecentdecades.Iheardfromfolksaboutthestrugglesthey’vebeenfacingforlongerthantheycaretoremember.AndItalkedwiththemaboutwhatmyadministrationisdoingtohelpourfamilies,oursmallbusinesses,andoureconomyreboundfromthisrecession.

Jumpstartingjobcreationintheprivatesectorandfosteringaclimatethatencouragesbusinessestohireagainisvitallyimportant–andI’llcontinueworkinghardtomakesurethathappens.Butmyresponsibi