Statement on the Extension of Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of Federal Employees June 2, 2010

Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 / June 3 NOTE: The President’s remarks were video- yup, former Republic of Korea Army Chief of taped at approximately 4:55 p.m. on May 27 in Staff; Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the the Map Room at the White House for broad- United Nations; and former Secretary of State cast at the dinner on June 2 in New York City. Colin L. Powell. Audio was not available for In his remarks, he referred to Gen. Paik Sun- verification of the content of these remarks. Statement on the Extension of Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of Federal Employees June 2, 2010 Last year, I issued a Presidential memoran- family assistance services to hardship transfers dum that instructed the Office of Personnel to relocation expenses. It also requires agencies Management and the Secretary of State to ex- that extend any new benefits to employees’ op- tend certain available benefits they had identi- posite-sex spouses to make those benefits avail- fied to gay and lesbian Federal employees and able on equal terms to employees’ same-sex do- their families under their respective jurisdic- mestic partners to the extent permitted by law. tions. Among those benefits were long-term While this memorandum is an important step care insurance and expanded sick leave for civil on the path to equality, my administration con- service employees and medical care abroad, eli- tinues to be prevented by existing Federal law gibility for employment at posts, cost-of-living from providing same-sex domestic partners adjustments abroad and medical evacuation for with the full range of benefits enjoyed by het- domestic partners of Foreign Servicemembers. erosexual married couples. That is why today I In that same memorandum, I called upon the renew my call for swift passage of an important Federal agencies to undertake a comprehensive piece of legislation pending in both Houses of review and to identify any additional benefits Congress, the “Domestic Partnership Benefits that could be extended to the same-sex domes- and Obligations Act.” This legislation, champi- tic partners of Federal employees under exist- oned by Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan ing law. That process has now concluded, and I Collins and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, am proud to announce that earlier today, I would extend to the same-sex domestic partners signed a memorandum that requires executive of Federal employees the full range of benefits agencies to take immediate action to extend to currently enjoyed by Federal employees’ oppo- the same-sex domestic partners of Federal em- site-sex spouses. I look forward to signing it into ployees a number of meaningful benefits, from law. Remarks at PBS’s “Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House” June 2, 2010 Thank you. Please, everybody, have a seat. We also want to thank the Gershwin family, The show’s not over. [Laughter] To all the tre- as well as the Library of Congress and Dr. mendous artists from all the genres and back- James Billington, as well as PBS for helping to grounds who’ve joined us tonight to pay tribute put this together. Dr. Billington has done ex- to the one and only Sir Paul McCartney, thank traordinary work at the Library of Congress, you so much. Stevie Wonder, the Jonas Broth- and his deep commitment to preserving Ameri- ers, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Lang Lang, ca’s cultural heritage for future generations is Herbie Hancock, Elvis Costello, Jack White, something that we all treasure. Corinne Bailey Rae, David Grohl, and the fun- We have a number of Members of Congress, nyman, Jerry Seinfeld, give it up for them. number of dignitaries here tonight. I want to make special mention of our outstanding 759 June 3 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2010 Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. You will which he told me it cost him 30 pounds. He not find a bigger supporter of the arts than says he suspects it’s worth a little more now. Nancy Pelosi, and so we’re grateful for that. [Laughter] Even as we gather here tonight to present But the Beatles, they weren’t the first rock this annual award for extraordinary contribu- stars. They’d be the first to say that others had tions to American music and culture—that’s opened that door for them. But they blew the right, we stole you, Paul—[laughter]—it goes walls down for everybody else. In a few short without saying that this has been a very diffi- years, they had changed the way that we lis- cult time. We’ve gone through a difficult year tened to music, thought about music, and per- and a half, and right now our thoughts and our formed music forever. They helped to lay the prayers are with friends in another part of the soundtrack for an entire generation, an era of country that is so rich in musical heritage, the endless possibility and of great change. people of the Gulf Coast, who are dealing with And over the four decades since, Paul Mc- something that we simply have not seen be- Cartney has not let up, touring the world with fore. And it’s heartbreaking. And we reaffirm, the band Wings or on his own, rocking every- I think, together, our commitment to see to it thing from small halls to Super Bowls. He’s that their lives and their communities are composed hundreds of songs over the years, made whole again. with John Lennon, with others, or on his own. But part of what gets us through tough Nearly 200 of those songs made the times is music, the arts, the ability to capture charts—think about that—and stayed on the that essential kernel of ourselves, that part of charts for a cumulative total of 32 years. us that sings even when times are hard. And [Laughter] And his gifts have touched billions it’s fitting that the Library has chosen to pres- of lives. ent this year’s Gershwin Prize for Popular As he later confessed of the Beatles’ first ap- Song to a man whose father played Gershwin pearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” where compositions for him on the piano, a man who he carried that bass out—that one evening that grew up to become the most successful song- changed everything—Paul said, “Luckily, we writer in history, Sir Paul McCartney. didn’t know what America was. We just knew Now, by its very definition, popular music is our dream of it, or we probably would have fleeting. Rarely is it composed with an eye to- been too intimidated.” wards standing the test of time. Rarer still does Tonight it is my distinct pleasure to present it actually achieve that distinction. And that’s America’s highest award for popular music on what makes Paul’s career so legendary. behalf of a grateful nation—grateful that a It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly half young Englishman shared his dreams with a century since four lads from Liverpool first us—Sir Paul McCartney. landed on our shores and changed everything overnight. And I have to share this story. NOTE: The President spoke at 8:36 p.m. in the While we were sitting here, I learned that the East Room at the White House. The transcript bass that Paul was playing onstage is the same was released by the Office of the Press Secre- bass that he played at “The Ed Sullivan Show,” tary on June 3. Remarks at the United States-India Strategic Dialogue Reception June 3, 2010 The President. Thank you very much. Good kind words and the incredible work that you’ve evening, everyone. Namaste. put in to trying to strengthen even more and Audience members. Namaste. deepen even more the relationship between The President. I want to thank Secretary the two largest democracies in the world. Clinton for your outstanding leadership. And I Secretary Clinton, I think as you may be want to thank Minister Krishna for both the aware, is a great admirer of India, and I know 760.

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