Then he opened the floor for questions. In fact, the president promised that law enforcement and intelligence agencies will focus on detecting and foiling terrorism “24/7” – particularly domestic and “lone wolf” threats.
Advertisement
It caps a rough-and-tumble year for the 44th President of the United States, marked by the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria and terror attacks in the West that sent his approval ratings into a slide.
He had engaged in a blitz of public events lately to try to convince them otherwise, including a visit on Thursday to the National Counterterrorism Centre.
“It was a reminder of what’s good in this country”, he said. Obama stressed the government does check social media when reviewing visa applications.
President Barack Obama says 6 million people have signed up for coverage under his health care law so far this year. And until they do say no, he won’t comment on using his executive authority to close Guantanamo.
“Squeezing ISIL’s heart, its core in Syria and Iraq will make it harder for them to pump their terror and propaganda to the rest of the world”, he said. But he says it is a budget that invests in the USA military and the middle class.
“I’m not going to automatically assume that Congress says no”, Obama said.
At the same time, the president voiced optimism about advancing the trade deal and criminal-justice reform because of the way Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) ushered a $1.1 trillion spending bill through Congress.
This week, Obama has continued to reassure an American public anxious about the threat of terrorism, urging people to maintain their ways of life and not give in to fear that the terrorists want to instil.
“As hard as this time is for them and for the entire community, they’re also representative of the strength and the unity and the love that exists in this community and in this country”, Obama said late Friday after almost three hours of meetings with family members.
But he insisted he would remain firm getting Congress to pass his few remaining priorities, such as closing down the Guantánomo Bay military prison, passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and overhauling the criminal justice reform system.
The possibility that a Republican successor could undo progress toward fighting climate change. “It can not be imposed from the outside and we are not seeking to do so”, Kerry said. He also argued that changing market dynamics will help the fight against climate change. “He will take steps to highlight this issue and why it’s important” through next year, she said. But the resolution, adopted unanimously, would nearly certainly have been rejected by Russian Federation if it did not allow Assad to remain in power for the moment. Obama said again he’s committed to destroying the Islamic State, and said reducing instability in the region is key to that goal.
The comments were consistent with the administration’s long-held position that Assad can not be part of a political solution for ending the almost five-year Syrian civil war.
Law enforcement leaders have formed a group to reduce mass incarceration and push prison reform.
“We’re sending a message; if you target America, you will have no safe haven”, he said.
Then he headed out – telling the crowd of reporters, “OK, everybody, I’ve got to get to Star Wars”.
Advertisement
The family of Aurora Godoy, one of the victims in the attack in San Bernardino on December 2, met with President Barack Obama Friday in San Bernardino.
