Obama Greets Canadian PM: ‘I’m Proud’ Health Care a ‘Right’ in Both Nations
OBAMA: “Good morning, everybody.”
AUDIENCE: “Good morning!”
OBAMA: “Bonjour. On behalf of the American people, on behalf of Michelle and myself, it is my honor to welcome to the United States Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — (Applause) — Mrs. Grégoire-Trudeau, their beautiful children, and the quite good-looking Canadian delegation. (Applause) It’s long been said that you can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your neighbors. (Laughter) Well, by virtue of geography, the United States and Canada are blessed to be neighbors. And by choice, we are steadfast allies and the closest of friends. (Applause) The truth is, though, we don’t express this enough, in part because of our national characters. Our Canadian friends can be more reserved, more easygoing. We Americans can be a little louder, more boisterous. And as a result, we haven’t always conveyed how much we treasure our alliance and our ties with our Canadian friends. And that’s why, today, we are very proud to welcome the first official visit by a Canadian Prime Minister in nearly 20 years. (Applause) It’s about time, eh? (Laughter) And what a beautiful day it is. Which is a little unfair. As President, my very first foreign trip was to Canada — to Ottawa in February. (Laughter) In the snow. Still, our friends from the Great White North gave me a very warm welcome. Mr. Prime Minister, we hope to reciprocate some of that warmth today, with your first official visit south of the border. We’re joined today by proud Canadian-Americans. (Applause) We are family. And this is also a special day for the many Canadians who live and work here in America and who enrich our lives every day. We don’t always realize it, but so often, that neighbor, that coworker, that member of the White House staff, some of our favorite artists and performers — they’re Canadian! (Laughter) They sneak up on you. (Laughter) Even as we remember what makes us unique, Americans and Canadians, we see ourselves in each other. We’re guided by the same values, including our conviction that the blessings we cherish as free people are not gifts to be taken for granted but are precious freedoms that have to be defended anew by every generation. Americans and Canadians — our brave men and women in uniform — have paid the price together across a century of sacrifice, from the poppy fields of Flanders to the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. As NATO allies, we stand united against terrorism and for the rights of nations like Ukraine to determine their own destiny. As leaders at the United Nations, we stand up for peace and security and the human rights of all people. Our shared values also guide us at home. I’m proud to be the first American President to stand with a Canadian Prime Minister and be able to say that — in both our nations — health care is not a privilege for a few but is now a right for all.” (Applause)
