Flashback: Obama Touts Progress in ‘Creating a Clean Energy Economy’ in Puerto Rico
Speaking June 14, 2011, President Obama visited San Juan, where he trumpeted policies he said were rebuilding Puerto Rico's economy:
Because when I ran for President, I promised to include Puerto Rico not just on my itinerary, but also in my vision of where our country needs to go. And I am proud to say that we’ve kept that promise, too.
First of all, we’ve addressed the question of political status. In March, a report from our presidential task force on Puerto Rican status provided a meaningful way forward on this question so that the residents of the island can determine their own future. And when the people of Puerto Rico make a clear decision, my administration will stand by you. (Applause.)
I also know that there are plenty of other issues that the island is facing. When President Kennedy was here, he addressed the relationship between Washington and San Juan, and he also spoke about tackling what he called, “the difficult problems of education and housing and employment.”
In that same spirit, we’ve been trying to make sure that every family on the island can find work and make a living and provide for their children. That’s why our economic plan and our health care reform included help for Puerto Rico. (Applause.)
That’s why we’re increasing access to broadband and investing in education. That's why we’re helping to grow local tourism and health care and clean-energy industries. We’re giving Puerto Ricans the tools they need to build their own economic futures.
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We are going to be able to improve our education system here in Puerto Rico and all across America. (Applause.) We are making strides to improve our health care system here in Puerto Rico and all across America. (Applause.) We are going to put people back to work here in Puerto Rico and all across America. (Applause.)
Maybe some of you remember that when I was here in 2008, I spoke in front of the Cuartel de Ballaja, a site that had been home to so many chapters of Puerto Rican history. Today, Puerto Rican workers are writing the next chapter by turning the building into a model of energy efficiency. They’re making HVAC systems more efficient. They’re putting on a green roof. They’re installing 720 photovoltaic panels. When they’re done, it’s estimated that the energy savings will be 57 percent. And Puerto Rico will have taken one more step towards creating a clean energy economy.
Those are the kinds of steps it will take for Puerto Rico to win the future and for America to win the future. (Applause.) That’s what we do in this country. With each passing decade, with each new challenge, we reinvent ourselves. We find new ways to solve our problems. We push forward.
And we do so in a way that gives every one of our people a shot at the dream that we all share -– the dream that if you’re willing to work hard and take responsibility, you can build a better life for your family. You can find a job that’s secure, provides decent wages, provides for your children, provides for your retirement. That’s what people are hoping for, and it’s not too much to ask.
