Administration of Barack Obama, 2009 / May 1

Remarks at an Installation Ceremony for Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Commerce Gary F. Locke May 1, 2009

The President. Hello, everybody. Please, ev- Nation’s food and drug supply, to keeping erybody have a seat. This is a big family here— America at the forefront of medical research, to [laughter]—feel a bit like a wedding, you know. helping to lead our effort to ensure that every [Laughter] American has access to quality, affordable We’re here this afternoon to formally fill out health care. my Cabinet with my new Secretary of Health As a former State insurance commissioner and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, and and Governor, Kathleen has been on the front- my Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke. Secre- lines of our health care crisis. And she shares tary Sebelius and Secretary Locke were actually my belief that if we’re going to cut costs for sworn-in before today, but around here, we like families and businesses, maintain quality, and to make sure we get it right. [Laughter] I had to improve the long-term economic health of our do it twice, and so now we make everybody do it Nation, we must realize that fixing what’s wrong twice. [Laughter] with our health care system is no longer just a When I announced Kathleen as my choice moral imperative; it’s an economic and fiscal for HHS Secretary, I said that one of her re- imperative. If we want to make companies sponsibilities would be to make certain our Na- more competitive and reduce our budget defi- tion is prepared for a pandemic. What I didn’t cits in the future, we need to tackle health care expect was that a serious H1N1 flu outbreak reform right now. would be her first assignment. But it is, and The reform we’re talking about won’t focus that’s why on Tuesday, only hours after being on Democratic ideas or Republican ideas, but confirmed by the Senate, she was sworn-in by on ideas that work. And that’s precisely the kind my side in the Oval Office and then went of commitment to bipartisan accomplishment straight to the Situation Room to get to work that Kathleen embodies. She is, after all, the dealing with this emergency. daughter of a Democratic Governor and the But managing crises is nothing new for Kath- daughter-in-law of a Republican Congressman. leen. She has plenty of experience doing just Her father, who is here, former Ohio Governor that as Governor of Kansas, and that expertise John Gilligan—I just want to acknowledge has enabled her to hit the ground running. him—where did he go? There he is, right in She’s been closely monitoring and carefully front. Give him a big round of applause. [Ap- managing the situation, along with her Acting plause] He and Kathleen make up the first fa- Director at the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser, and ther-daughter pair of Governors in the United Secretary Janet Napolitano. They’re making States. sure all Federal agencies are coordinating their But Kathleen has a—forged a reputation for efforts, and they’ll keep the American people bipartisan problem-solving in her own right. updated over the days ahead. Time and again, she bridged the partisan divide Experts tell us this is a unique virus with the and worked with a Republican legislature to get potential to have a great impact, and as long as things done for the people of Kansas. it remains a potentially grave threat, we’re going And Kathleen possesses the patience and to take it very seriously. And obviously, we hope understanding honed by nearly 35 years of the precautions we’re taking prove unnecessary, marriage to her husband Gary but better safe than sorry. We will take every Sebelius—[laughter]—the former first dude of appropriate action to make sure that the Ameri- Kansas—[laughter]—the grace and good can people are safe. humor required to raise sons like Ned and John, And if the flu outbreak isn’t enough, Secre- and the kind of pragmatic wisdom you tend to tary Sebelius has a lot of other challenges on find in a Kansan. She’s already a tremendous her plate, from guaranteeing the safety of our asset to my Cabinet. She has hit the ground

605 May 1 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2009 running. I look forward to working with her in I want to thank his lovely wife, Mona, their the years to come. adorable children, Emily, Dylan, and Made- Now, when I chose Gary Locke for my line, for being here—thank you, guys—and for Commerce Secretary, I mentioned his own re- the sacrifices they’ve made to send Gary from markable story. More than 100 years ago, one Washington to another, especially Emily, Gary’s grandfather left China on a steamship because I know it’s harder when you’re older. bound for America and found work as a do- [Laughter] And I’m grateful to Gary for his mestic servant in Washington State. He raised service, because I know how hard it is to be a son, Gary’s father Jimmy, who would go on away from your family. And my Cabinet is now full of energetic in- to fight in World War II, return home and novators like Kathleen and Gary, a team of open a grocery store, and later raise a family of leaders who push the envelope every day be- his own. cause they know that whether the wind is in Gary worked his way through Yale with the our face or at our backs, America does not set- help of scholarships and student loans, earned tle; we always march forward. I am thrilled to his law degree, and returned to Washington have them by my side as we continue the work State to devote his life to public service. And of turning our economy around and laying a when he took the oath of office as Governor of new foundation for growth that delivers on the Washington, he did so in the State capitol change the American people asked for and the building not 1 mile from the home where his promise of a new and better day ahead. grandfather worked as a servant all those years So with that, I’m going to turn it over to an- ago. And that’s how I know Gary shares my other extraordinary member of my team, my deep, abiding belief in the American Dream, Vice President, Joe Biden, to administer the because he’s lived it too. oaths. He’s since proceeded to honor the family’s Joe. legacy with years of distinguished service as Vice President Joe Biden. Thank you, Mr. one of the Nation’s most able and forward- President. thinking Governors. He worked to promote [At this point, the Vice President administered economic development and attract businesses the oath.] to Washington that would create the jobs of the 21st century, jobs in science and technolo- The President. Thank you, everybody. Have gy, agriculture and clean energy. And I’m a great weekend. proud of what he and his team at the Depart- ment of Commerce are doing to help create NOTE: The President spoke at 4:50 p.m. in the conditions in which our workers can prosper, East Room at the White House. In his re- our businesses can compete and thrive, and marks, he referred to Secretary of Homeland our economy can grow. Security Janet A. Napolitano.

Statement on World Press Freedom Day May 1, 2009

World Press Freedom Day is annually ob- death or jail as they attempt to bring daily served on May 3 to remind us all of the vital news to the public. importance of this core freedom. It is a day in Although World Press Freedom Day has which we celebrate the indispensable role only been celebrated since 1993, its roots run played by journalists in exposing abuses of deep in the international community. In 1948, power, while we sound the alarm about the as people across the globe emerged from the growing number of journalists silenced by horrors of the Second World War, nations saw

606