Michelle Obama Visits US Department of Homeland Security 14 April 2009 MODERATOR: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome your Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. [Applause] SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: All right. Good morning. AUDIENCE: Good morning. SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: This looks like a fine group. And we are here for a very significant occasion because I believe this is the first time in the six-year history of the Department of Homeland Security that we are privileged to have a visit from the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. [Applause] SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: Now, I was telling the First Lady a little bit about our department, how this is the Nebraska Avenue complex but that, in reality, that we are in many components spread around the District and, indeed, around the country; that we are the newest department with among the most essential missions within the government, which is to protect the people of the United States from harm, be it terrorism, be it natural disaster, be it anything else that could befall us to protect; and then to help recovery when things do occur; and that there are many skill sets among the men and women of this department, and a great, great commitment to the department's mission. So it's wonderful to have her here. As you know, Mrs. Obama is a distinguished lawyer and public servant. She has spent a lifetime encouraging people to serve their communities and their neighbors. As First Lady, she is continuing her work on the issues close to her heart, including supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging service to our country. The First Lady's presence here with us today is a tremendous statement about the department's employees throughout the world who do the hard and oftentimes invisible work protecting our country from harm. So I hope you take the same message from this visit that I do: that your hard work is being recognized directly by the First Family of the United States. So with that, please welcome First Lady Michelle Obama to the Department of Homeland Security. [Applause] MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for coming out on this rainy, cold day. I know how D.C. people don't like bad weather, so I really appreciate it. [Laughter.] I want to thank Secretary Napolitano for her kind introduction and for the strong leadership that she's bringing here to the Department of Homeland Security. We are thrilled to have her. I got to meet Janet on the campaign trail, and she was always one of my favorite people to see. She's a fighter, she's a hard worker, and she cares tremendously about each and every one of you and doing a tremendous job here. So I want to give her a round of applause. [Applause] Well, one of the President's greatest concerns and priorities is the safety and security of the American people, and the more than 180,000 employees of this department are at the heart of fulfilling that mission. He couldn't do it without you. While the Department of Homeland Security may be one of the newest cabinet departments, its agencies have served the American people for generations, and some of you right here on this stage behind me have been doing a great job at that as well, and we're grateful for your work. You all stand watch every day over our borders and our skies, our ports and our transportation systems. You dedicate yourselves to preventing, preparing for, and responding to our disasters all over this nation. And you ensure that the nation's first responders are well-equipped and well-trained. Many people don't know what this department does each year. They hear the initials, but they don't know what happens here. In this year alone, DHS will award more than $3 billion in grants to states, urban areas, and transportation authorities to better prepare our nation and protect our infrastructure. That's just one of the many things that's happening. And the budget for next year calls for additional funding in critical areas like border security and immigration services, transportation systems, and research and development. And for many of you, your work takes place behind the scenes. The truth is is that if you do your jobs well, then few people will ever know about anything that you do. For others, the hope is that you never have to execute much of what you work so hard to prepare for. But this shouldn't mean that your services don't go unappreciated just because we don't always know what you do. Today, for example, the Transportation Security Administration will screen approximately 2 million passengers and their 1.8 million pieces of checked baggage, and the average customer will wait no more than 13 minutes to have that done. Now, oftentimes we complain, but the truth is 13 minutes is pretty impressive. Today the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will process more than 1.1 million passengers and pedestrians, and inspect more than 70,000 truck, rail, and sea containers. Today the United States Coast Guard will save 14 lives, assist 98 people in distress, and monitor the nation's 15,000 miles of inland waterways. And an additional 600 Coast Guard personnel are supporting the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan by patrolling the region, protecting Iraq's oil platforms in the Persian Gulf, and training Iraq forces. Today the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will naturalize 3,000 new citizens, including 27 who are serving in our military; and they'll welcome 3200 new baby citizens to our nation. And when natural disasters strike, we're going to rely on the men and women of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond and help us begin to repair our communities and put our lives back on track. The President is committed to ensuring that FEMA has the leadership and resources needed to fulfill that very important mission. And the administration is also committed to helping New Orleans and the Gulf Coast finish the job of rebuilding and becoming stronger than ever in those regions. Today the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will assist the dedicated men and women of this department in securing our country while preserving our freedoms and our way of live. And today, I want to personally thank the men and women of the United States Secret Service. See, a lot of people don't even know that they operate under DHS. But it is those men and women who are responsible for the safety and security of the President, the Vice President, me, and our families. Every day I see how hard they work. Every day I see how much time they spend away from their own families to keep mine safe. And it has been an honor to get to know each and every one of them throughout the course of the campaign and in our day-to-day interactions. They represent the utmost of excellence, and we are so honored to have them serving alongside of us. But I'm here not just to thank them but to thank all of you. That's one of the things I've been doing over these first few months, is thanking you all for your service to this country, and to ensure that you, as true public servants, don't get lost behind the numbers and the magnitude of the mission that you have to execute every day. Because it's the employees of this department who help a family search through the debris in search of a beloved doll or a teddy bear. It is the employees of this department who put their lives on the line to protect our borders. It is the employees of this department who educate our newest citizens. It's all of you who risk your lives to rescue someone at sea, and who miss Easter or Passover or birthdays or anniversaries with their own families to spend time watching over mine. So once again, my job here is simple: Thank you. Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for our dedication to keeping America strong. We're going to need you working harder than ever each and every day in the coming years, and we are grateful for everything you've done. So I'm going to stop now and come down and shake some hands. Thank you so much. [Applause] END