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John Kasich Announces Presidential Run; Obama Addressing Veterans Talking Chattanooga Shooting Rampage. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired July 21, 2015 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO: From the very tips of my toes to the top of my head, I just love my wife so much.

[11:30:05] Such a greater partner...

(APPLAUSE)

... and such a great lady.

So I want to tell you that it's this whole business of the American Dream, isn't it, that we can all work to make sure that next generation is going to be in a position of greater strength than what we received. And I get my inspiration from the people who came before me. And I want to tell you about a few of the ones that inspire me.

I'd like to start with my uncle Steve. Uncle Steve was a tough guy -- you know, the son of a coal miner. Rough and gruff and tell it like it is. And he found himself at Iwo Jima, and he looked around during that battle and he saw a lot of people dying. Uncle Steve was not a church-going man, but in the middle of all the violence and the blood and the death, he said to God, if you will take me off this island, I will go to church every day for the rest of my life.

(LAUGHTER)

And he did. And he did. And Uncle Steve...

(APPLAUSE)

When Uncle Steve came home from the war, the brothers all slept in the same room; they didn't have a lot. And Uncle George told me that he would have nightmares and he would speak in Japanese. And he told his brothers never wake me, never wake me from that nightmare because I don't what will happen. Let me sleep and wake up on my own.

And Uncle George -- he's here today, he's right over here. He's 89 years old.

(APPLAUSE)

I so love my Uncle George. He's the patriarch of our family. Well, Uncle George was in the infantry, and he was scheduled to take a boat from England to Belgium. But the division he was in couldn't all fit in the boat, so they asked Uncle George to wait until the next day. Well that boat left England on its way to Belgium, and a submarine launched a torpedo and sunk that boat and everyone on it perished.

The next day, Uncle George took another boat and he landed in France. And he fought with great honor and he returned home and became a guidance counselor and guided young people for the next 38 years of his life. What a man.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, when my father-in-law -- we call him Popsy, grandfather -- joined the Marines at the age of 17; wanted to serve his country. But I guess most important, my mom and dad. You know, Mom was -- well, she was a visionary. Didn't get the education; you know, her mother could barely speak English, but boy, was she smart. And if you think I have opinions, you never met my mom.

(LAUGHTER)

And my father was the mailman. They called him John the Mailman. And when we laid my mother and father to rest, there were countless numbers of people who came and said John the Mailman, he watched out for all of us. And they gave up so much, didn't take -- I wished they'd have spent more on themselves, but they just -- no matter what you told them, they weren't doing to do it because it was all about the next generation. And they are the ones that have inspired me.

And all of you that are here today, you're the same way, aren't you? You've got those people who did so much for you who are your heroes. And they don't have to be famous, they're just people you love and that you admire. That American Dream that is pivotal for the future for our country, but I have to tell you there are a lot of people in America today who are not sure that that American Dream is possible, that that American Dream is alive. And I can understand their concerns.

KASICH: You know, when I was a kid, you went out and you got a job and you worked at that job your entire lifetime. You got your health care, you got your retirement and everything was good.

Today, you could be a 51-year-old man and one day after serving and doing everything the right way, somebody walks into your office and says, I'm sorry, but we don't need you anymore.

Can you imagine that conversation?

Could you imagine that dad when he is driving home or that mom when she is driving home?

They lose confidence. They wonder what their future is.

Can they get another job?

Can they support their family? Will anybody be there to help them?

Or how about moms and dads today?

They send their kids to college, many of these young people ringing up massive amounts of debt trying to get an education and they are living in the attic and Mom and Dad are wondering, will they get a job?

Will they pay their bills?

What kind of a future are they going to have?

Or, at the same time, we can also think about what all of us fear greatly and that is the problems of bad health.

Can I afford those expensive drugs that I need to survive?

What is it going to cost me to get treatment, just not for myself but for one of the loved ones in my family?

Will I be bankrupted and lose everything I have, everything I've worked for?

It's a real fear.

Or the fear of the tsunami of drugs -- it's everywhere, isn't it? The kids that are here and there are many of them, don't do drugs, don't put that big 1,000-pound pack on your back and keep you from your God-given purpose. But all moms and dads worry that those drugs are going to wash away our own neighborhoods and maybe wash away our children.

And how about those that struggle to make ends meet?

There are some people just say, oh, well, just work harder or pull yourself up by your bootstraps. I believe in all that. Some people just don't have the fortune that many of us have. And they struggle. They struggle for a whole lifetime and they worry, that can they rise?

Can they -- can they pull the rest of their family members up the ladder, the promise of America? And they worry about it.

Or how about if you are a member of the minority community, an African American?

You wonder. The system, I think, sometimes doesn't just work for me but sometimes I feel like that system works against me. And you think about the troubles that many of our African Americans still face today in a world where we have worked to provide equal rights and opportunities. Sometimes they are not so sure and I don't blame them.

Or how about all of us? We pick up the paper. It's Chattanooga, it's Fort Hood, it's ISIS.

Are we safe?

Are we going to be safe to go to the mall?

Are we safe to leave our homes?

These are the worries that many Americans have.

But I have to tell you, as serious as these are -- and they are very serious -- we have had a lot worse, much worse in this country.

Think about it, the civil war.

You remember reading about it? I mean, it's not just neighbors fighting against neighbors, but it was even family members, kin fighting against one another and killing one another on a battlefield right in America.

How about the racial violence that we experienced in this country?

The early days of television when they put the dogs and the gas and the batons on people of another color. Or the world wars, where many in our families never came home, leaving widows and children without a dad. Or the Depression, the Depression. Ask your grandfather, ask your mom and dad about that depression.

KASICH: My father used to say that he would go down to the store and get some food for the family and the guy would say, "We'll put it on your bill." There was no bill. That's what it took for America to get through the Depression.

And you all remember that crystal clear morning and the horror we felt on 9/11.

But guess what? We've always got through it, because the testing is what makes you stronger. It's the challenges that make you better. I have lived through them, and I have become stronger for them, and America has become stronger for them.

And here's how we've done it: by staying together. Not by dividing each other but by staying together with our eyes on the horizon, with our eyes on the horizon, about the future.

(APPLAUSE)

We have a little town in Ohio called Wilmington. They followed that formula.

Let me tell you about these folks. They played by the rules -- worked every day, highly productive, teamwork -- and one day, an employer said, "We're leaving. We're out of here."

And thousands of people, thousands of hardworking, God-fearing people like your neighbors, went from getting a paycheck on a Friday afternoon to visiting a food pantry so they could feed their kids.

I was down there in 2010 after this earthquake -- economic earthquake hit Wilmington. We had a campaign bus. My wife was with me.

We walked through that food pantry. We looked at the people and preachers and civil servants and leaders and caregivers. They were at the food pantry, but they hadn't lost any hope, because they had their eyes on the horizon.

We got back on the bus -- I will never forget it as long as I live -- we got back on -- on the bus, and I said, "Folks, do you understand" -- some of them had been with me for a long time, so they got it. But some of the others were rookies.

I said, "Do you understand what we are doing here? This isn't a political campaign." And by the way, either will this be. "This is not a political campaign.

"Did you see those people? Did you see the tears in their eyes? Did you see them hugging their children? Did you see them not hopeless? We're going to join in, and we're going to help them, because it is our job and our mission as human beings, as children of God, to work with them, to lift them."

And guess what? And guess what?

(APPLAUSE)

And in Wilmington today, the sun's coming up. I told them that the sun would come up again. It hasn't reached its zenith, but the sun is rising, and the sun is going to rise to the zenith in America again. I promise you, it will happen.

(APPLAUSE)

Listen, you know -- you know -- you know who does this? See, it's you and me. See, it's teachers and preachers and moms and dads, doctors, construction workers, like that sweet man in Brown County that saw his family washed away over the weekend -- keep him in your prayers -- police and firemen and people like my dad, the mailman, John the mailman, because we are the glue, we are the glue that holds our country together.

How about -- as for me, as for me, look, I'm just trying to do my best, OK?

I came here to Ohio State. I found myself on the 19th floor of one of the towers. You could hit it with a stone from here.

I had 15 roommates.

[11:45:03] The place was 23 floors high. The tower next door, the same size.

KASICH: Ohio State can be a pretty intimidating place, OK. It's big. It is a big place. And I left my dorm room, went down to the first floor and I walked just right down the path to Ohio Stadium. And it was a time when you could actually walk in that stadium, they didn't have that one end closed in. And I walked into that stadium -- I swear this happened -- and I walked right to the 50 yard line.

[11:45:37] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kasich, governor of Ohio, making his announcement official. He's going to throw his hat in the ring for the race for the White House. Going to monitor that and bring you the announcement again.

But I want to get you over to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where President Obama is addressing a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention. He's right now speaking about the Marines and sailor killed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in that shooting rampage. Let's listen in.

[11:46:00] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, as we defend our nation, real leadership also means something else -- having the courage to lead in a new direction, the wisdom to move beyond the policies that haven't worked in the past. Having the confidence to engage in the smart, principled diplomacy that can lead to a better future. That's what we're doing in Cuba, where the new chapter between our peoples will mean more opportunities for the Cuban people.

Today, with our American embassy open in Havana for the first time in 50 years, we reaffirm that we will speak out for freedom and universal values around the world. But we're not scared to engage.

We also see the strength of American diplomacy in our comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran, because we must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And we're now engaged in an important debate, which is a good thing. We are a Democracy. Unfortunately, you may have noticed there is already a lot of shaky information out there. So, even as I make the case of why this is a critical deal for preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, we are going to make sure that people know the facts.

And here are some basic facts. With this deal, we cut off every single one of Iran's pathways to a nuclear program. Iran is prohibited from pursuing a nuclear weapon permanently. Without a deal, those paths remain open, and Iran could move closer to a nuclear bomb. With this deal, we gain unprecedented access to Iran's nuclear facilities, and monitor them 24/7. Without a deal, we don't get that.

OBAMA: With this deal, if Iran cheats, sanctions snap back on. Without a deal, the sanctions unravel.

With this deal, we have a chance to resolve the challenge of Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon peacefully. Without it, we risk yet another conflict in the Middle East.

Now, if Iran tries to get a bomb to spite this agreement, 10 years from now or 20 years from now, the American president will be in a stronger position to take whatever additional steps are necessary, including any option of military action to prevent that from happening. And those are the facts. That's the choice.

And for the sake of our national security and the sake of future generations, we need to make the right choice on this critical issue.

I also want to make a broader point. In the debate over this deal, we're hearing the echoes of some of the same policies and mindset that failed us in the past. And some of the same politicians and pundits that are so quick to reject the possibility of a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program are the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq and said it would take a few months.

We know the consequences of that choice, and what it cost us in blood and treasure.

So I believe there's a smarter, more responsible way to protect our national security. And that is what we are doing. Instead of dismissing the rest of the world and going it alone, we've done the hard and patient work of uniting the international community to meet a common threat. Instead of chest-beating that rejects even the idea of talking to our adversaries, which sometimes sounds good in sound bites but accomplishes nothing, we're seeing that strong and principled diplomacy can give hope of actually resolving a problem peacefully.

Instead of rushing into another conflict, I believe that sending our sons and daughters into harm's way must always be a last resort, and that before we put their lives on the line, we should exhaust every alternative.

(APPLAUSE)

That's what we owe our troops. That is strength, and that is American leadership.

(APPLAUSE)

Of course, even with this deal, we'll continue to have serious differences with the Iranian government: its support of terrorism, proxies that destabilize the Middle East. So we can't let them off the hook.

Our sanctions for Iran's support for terrorism and its ballistic missile program and its human rights violations, those sanctions will remain in place, and we will stand with allies and partners, including Israel, to oppose Iran's dangerous behavior. We are not going to relent until we bring home our Americans who are unjustly detained in Iran. Journalist Jason Rezaian should be released. Pastor Saeed Abedini should be released. Amir Hekmati, a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps should be released.

(APPLAUSE)

Iran needs to help us find Robert Levinson. These Americans need to be back home with their families.

There's one more aspect of American leadership I want to discuss, because even more than sending Americans to war, real strength is measured by how we take care of our veterans when you come home. VFW, working together, we've made real progress. We want historic increases in veterans funding. We've made V.A. benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange.

(APPLAUSE)

That was a commitment I made when I ran for office. We're keeping that commitment.

(APPLAUSE)

We're devoting unprecedented resources for mental health care. We've helped more than 1.4 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the post-9/11 G.I. Bill. We've reduced the number of homeless veterans by about a third.

(APPLAUSE)

We're helping more veterans and military spouses find good civilian jobs. And the veterans' unemployment rate continues to go down. It's now no lower than the national average. And that's all good news.

When problems arise, we work to fix them. Here in Pittsburgh, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at the V.A. a few years ago killed six veterans, and infected others. That was a tragedy. Whenever there are any missteps, there is no excuse.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones, and know that there is new leadership now at the Pittsburgh V.A.. The safety measures now in place are some of the strongest in the nation, and patient safety is a top priority at V.A. hospitals because we have to prevent anything like that from ever happening again.

(APPLAUSE)

Last year of course, the full magnitude of broader problems also came to light. Long wait times, veterans denied care, some people inexcusably cooking the books. It was unacceptable. And I made it clear I wanted those problems fixed. I've brought in Bob McDonald, and I went down to the Phoenix V.A. to see and hear for myself.

I know Bob gave you an update earlier. The V.A. reached out to vets across the country to get them off those wait lists and in for care. Bob is bringing energetic new leadership. He is working to hold people accountable and make sure the whistleblowers are protected instead of punished.

(APPLAUSE)

With the new resources of the CHOICE Act, the V.A. has hired thousands of new physicians, nurses, staff. They're opening more clinics. So to all the veterans who spoke up, I want you to know we heard you. We changed the rule. Now, if it takes you more than 40 miles to drive to a V.A. facility, we'll help you go to a doctor outside of the V.A..

(APPLAUSE)

Today, the V.A. is handling millions more appointments inside and outside the V.A. and delivering more care. On average, veterans are waiting just a few days for an appointment. And that's all good news. Veterans continue to tell us that once they get through the door, the care is often very good.

A lot of folks across the V.A., many of them veterans themselves, work hard every single day to do right by our veterans, and we thank them. But we've got to acknowledge our work is not done. We still have a big challenge. Even with all these new resources, the V.A. is still struggling to keep up with the surge of veterans who are seeking care. The fact is, our veterans are getting older.

With the end of the most recent wars, more veterans are now coming home. Our veterans are seeking more care. Our veterans are getting the new lifesaving treatment for Hepatitis C. You put it all together and in some places, wait times are higher than they were last year.

So I want you to know, I'm still not satisfied, Bob's still not satisfied. We are focused on this at the highest levels. We are not going to let up, and we're going to keep pushing forward on the five priorities of our veterans agenda.

OBAMA: Number one, we're going to keep fighting for the resources you need. And to help deal with this surge, we've sent an urgent request to Congress, give the V.A. more flexibility so it can move funds to where they're needed most right now.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm calling on Congress to approve this request quickly, this month. Our vets need it, and our hospitals need it. And let me just add, we've protected V.A. funding from sequestration in the pat, and I propose another increase in veterans funding for next year. And I would point out that the Republican budget falls short, it's another reminder that the best way to protect V.A. funding going forward -- and VFW, we need you to keep raising your voice on this, is to get rid of sequestration for good. That's how we're going to make sure that our veterans have the resources that they need.

(APPLAUSE)

Number two, we're going to keep fighting to make sure you actually get the health care you've been promised. We'll keep improving care for our growing number of proud women veterans, we got to make good on the promise of the Clay Hunt Act, improving care for veterans with post-traumatic stress, increasing outreach and peer support, and recruiting more psychiatrists and mental health counselors. We've got to make sure veterans who are already struggling don't fall through the cracks.

And we've also got to end the stigma and shame around mental health, once and for all.

(APPLAUSE)

And every American can help. Every American can help, by learning the five signs that someone may be hurting, so we can all reach out. Our troops and veterans were there for us, we need to be there for them 100 percent. We've all got a role to play.

Number three, we're going to keep cutting the disability claims backlog. I can report that since it has peeked two years ago, we've now cut the backlog by 80 percent. By 80 percent.

(APPLAUSE)

And we're going to keep bringing it down. Instead of all that paper, the V.A. is handling almost all your disability claims electronically. And, by the way, the accuracy of claims is up as well. But I know it is still taking too long to get a final answer on your appeals, so one of our next missions has to be fundamental reform of the claims appeals process, so that it works for you, our veterans, and you can actually get answers faster -- final answers faster.

(APPLAUSE)

We've recruited some of the best talent from Silicon Valley in the private sector. We're going to put them on the case.

Number four, we'll keep fighting to uphold the dignity of every veteran, and that includes ending veterans homelessness.

(APPLAUSE)

As part of their Joining Forces initiative, Michael and Joe Biden are helping to lead the charge. And they've teamed up with hundreds of elected officials. Governors, mayors, local leaders. New Orleans and Houston have become the first cities to effectively end veterans homelessness.

(APPLAUSE)

They deserve their congratulations for that. We're seeing major progress in cities like Salt Lake City and Louisville. So, this has become a national movement, and we stand by our pledge -- we are going to keep at it until every veteran who has fought for America has a place to call home in America.

(APPLAUSE)

And finally, we're going to keep fighting to give our troops and veterans every chance to enjoy the American dream you helped defend. Now, there's already a lot of "protect our troops," and "military families against unscrupulous predatory lenders," but I have to tell you, some of the worst abusers, like pay-day lenders, are exploiting loopholes to trap our troops in a vicious cycle of crushing debt.

So, today, we're taking a new step. The Defense Department is closing these loopholes, so we can protect our men and women in uniform from predatory lenders. It is the right thing to do.

(APPLAUSE)

[12:00:10] And since today marks five years since I signed historic Wall Street reform into law, let me say, I will not accept any efforts to roll back this law, or its strong protections for our economy and the American people, including our military families.