[applause] thank you. Thank you very much. And i hope youou all had a truly wonderful Independence Day weekend in spite of the heavy rain and it was really heavy. We had a remarkable salute to america on the national mall. Incredible. [no audio] [applause] standing on the steps of the Great Lincoln memorial and looking out on the crowds, these incredible big beautiful crowds, braving the weather all the way back to the washington monument. We celebrated freedom in all of its magnificence while saluting our great military. It was something really special and i will say this. It was a wonderful day for all americans and based on its tremendous success we are just making the decision and i think we can say weve made the decision to do it again next for and maybe we can say the foreseeable future. [applause] as we celebrate our nations founding, we are reminded once more of our profound obligation to protect americas extraordinary blessings for the next generation and many generations in clay to come. Among the heritage we must preserve is our countrys incredible natural splendor. That is the shared obligation that brings us together today. We have some incredibly talented people that know environment and what we are doing probably better than any people on ninth. From day one my administration has made it a top priority to ensure that america is among the very cleanest air and cleanest water on the planet. We want to the cleanest air. We want Crystal Clean water and thats what we are doing and thats what we are working on so hard. For this afternoons event we are pleased to be joined by secretary steven mnuchin. David bernhardt. Secretary wilbur ross. Secretary alex cesar. Cesar a czar azar. Secretary elaine chao. Andrew wheeler. And chair of the council of Environmental Quality mary newmar. Enqueue, mary. In a few moments we will hear an update on some of their very important work. Also with us are senators kevin cramer, steve daines, these are three great senators i might add. Perhaps similar prejudiced because i like them very much but they are great senators. Thank you. [applause] and congressman Ruth Westerman and thank you for being here. Appreciate it very much. Thank you all for being here. [applause] as the cabinet secretarys will tell you, from the very beginning ive given them clear direction to focus on addressing environmental challenges so we can provide the highest quality of life to all americans. In addition to clean air and clean water that means being good stewards of our public lands, prioritizing cleanup of polluted lands that threaten our most vulnerable citizens and threaten them very dearly and implementing progrowth policies to unlock innovation and new technologies which improve American Life and americas environment. So important. Incredible goals that everybody in this country should be able to rally behind and they have rally behind a very republican and democrat way. I really think that is something that is bipartisan. For years politicians told americans that a Strong Economy and a vibrant Energy Sector were incompatible with a healthy environment. In other words one thing doesnt go with the other and thats wrong. Because we are proving the exact opposite. A Strong Economy is vital to maintaining a healthy environment. , produce andate grow, we are able to unleash technologies and processes that make the environment better while reassuring and so importantly you look at thesuring production all way, taking away from foreign polluters and back to american soil. The Previous Administration waged a relentless war on American Energy. We cant do that. They sought to punish our workers, our producers and manufacturers with ineffective global agreements that allowed the worlds worst polluting countries to continue their practices. These radical plans would not make the world cleaner. They would just make and put americans out of work and they put them out of work rapidly. Production to Foreign Countries with lower standards. Our companies were forced to do that and they didnt want to do that and they drive up the price of gas and electricity at home and drive it to levels that are literally unaffordable and by the way, thats happening to many other countries but its not happening here. Other countries their pricing on electricity is so high not even to be affordable. At our level we are doing numbers that nobody has seen before. Nobody believes what we are doing and what we are producing. Electricity and other things for. Punishing americans is never the right way to produce a better environment for better economy. We have rejected this failed approach and we are seeing incredible results. Since the election we have created more than 6 million new jobs. Nobody would have believed that. I dont think anybody. [applause] nobody. Nobody. If i would have said that during the campaign it wouldnt have been a pretty picture the next day as i read the headlines. Six million new jobs. Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a century. And we have more people working today than have ever worked in the history of our country. Adding very close to 160 Million People which is unthinkable. If you go back three years and you said 100 60 Million People, they would say unthinkable. We are unlocking American Energy and the United States is now a net exporter of clean, affordable, american natural gas. We are exporting all over the world. [applause] antedate the United States is , numberlisten to this one in the world for access to clean Drinking Water. Ranked number one in the world. One of the main messages of air islution, particulate matter six times lower him than the global average. About someso much countries and what everyone is doing. We are six times lower than the average. Thats a tremendous number. Nations thousand and energyrelated Carbon Emissions have declined more than any other country on earth. Think of that. Emissions are projected to drop into thousand 19 and 2020. We are doing a very tough job and not Everybody Knows it and thats one of the reasons we are here today to speak to you. Every single one of the signatories to the paris climate america in behind overall emissions reductions. Who would think that is possible. My andeason in very very expensive. Expensive paris climate accord. [applause] thank you. Thank you. My administration is now revising the past administrations misguided regulations to better protect the environment and to protect our american workers. So importantly. As an example there is a very good place for solar energy. Im a believer in solar energy. It hasnt fully developed. Its got a long way to go. A tremendously got future. The United States does not have to sacrifice our own jobs to lead the world on the environment. My administration set the new global standard for environmental protections with unprecedented provisions in the u. S. Mexico canada agreement. Commonly referred to as the usmca which includes the firstever provisions to take on the challenge of Marine Litter and debris. By im sure youve all seen watching televisions, i may be reading about it, tremendous problem. Thousands and thousands of tons debris flowed onto our shores after its tempting into the oceans by other countries. The tides come to us. This is a tremendous problem. Thousands and thousands of tons f garbage comes to us. While we are focused on practical solutions, more than 100 democrats in congress now support the socalled green new deal. Their plan is estimated to cost our economy nearly 100 trillion. A number unthinkable, a number not affordable even in the best of times. If you go 150 years from now and we have had Great Success thats not a number thats even thought to be affordable. Kill millions of jobs, it will crush the dreams of the poorest americans, and disproportionately harm minority communities. I will not stand for it. We will defend the environment, but we will also defend american sovereignty, american prosperity, and we will defend american jobs. [applause] we have refocused the e. P. A. Back on its core mission. Last year the agency completed more superfund Hazardous Waste cleanups than any year of the Previous Administrations. And set records in almost every year. We have done tremendous work on superfunds. To name two examples we made Great Strides cleaning up damage near a paper plant in kalamazoo, michigan. Something that was beyond fixup. They thought it was never going to happen. And also the west lake land phil in missouri. Landfill in missouri. We have 65 million in brown field grants to clean up even more contaminated sites in 149 american communities. Think of that. The vast majority home to lower income citizens. Thats some project. [applause] that is some project. For the first time in nearly 30 years, we are in the process of strengthening National Drinking water standards to protect Vulnerable Children from lead and copper exposure. Something that has not been done and we are doing it. Last month our e. P. A. Took the first major action nearly two decades to reduce exposure to led contaminated dust. I signed americas Water Infrastructure act along with these great gentlemen right here. We worked very hard on that. Very, very hard. It wasnt easy. To further approve and improve Drinking Water infrastructure and support other critical projects. Our administration has directed over half a billion dollars to fix lake okeechobee, the Herber Hoover dike. I was out there Herbert Hoover dike. I was out there three months ago with your new great governor and senator, actually, from florida. We had our two senators. We had rick scott, marco rubio, and our great new governor, ron desantis. We were all out and we made a certain commitment and the commitment has already taken place and they are fixing lake okeechobee. People are very happy about it in the florida everglades. We are restoring the ecosystems in the everglades. I signed legislation authorizing 100 million to fight red tide. A big problem that some people dont know about. But when you do know about it that means trouble because it is bad. Another toxic algae that damages coastal areas thats causing tremendous havoc. We have a way of straightening it out and well get it done. , are joined today by bruce owner of billy bones bait and tackle in port st. Lucie. His business was devastated by toxic algae from lake okeechobee. Bruce, please come up and tell us about whats happened and what we are doing for you. Where is bruce . [applause] hello. How are you all today . We have made a big trip up here to make sure we hear, this is very important. This is my familys business. Ok. I have owned the bait and tackle store since 2001. Been in florida since 2006. I have my son tanner over here with me, means the world to me. Hes my best friend and son. Hes a brain cancer survivor. He beat it and now hes 21 [applause] thank you. Thank you. I wanted to say thank you. I wanted to say that, mr. President , youre not only doing a tremendous job all the way around, but you jumping into this environment brings my heart to warmth knowing that what you are doing is going is the truth, its going wonderfully. My business in 2018 was so horrible i own two stores. We closed several days a week because of, you know, the algae and people being frightened. They are afraid to touch the water and everything. I have a marine mechanic, i want to say quickly, had a bad infection in his arm from the marine algae and stuff. Basically your completion of this Herbert Hoover dike is going to make a tremendous difference because we can store more water in lake okeechobee, safely store it there so the residents that are around there are safe. We care, we are concerned about them. Us on the coast, believe me. And that the water does not go he cue wary. Ucie estuary. Its full of contamm nents and fertilizers. Mr. President , you mentioned the red tide. It is a natural owe curbs. This fertilizer and contaminants is like a super power. We have seen devastation on the west coast like none other before in 2018. Im just so grateful for all the work you are doing, sir. And everything. And everglades restoration. And also i heard great news that the dike is going to be finished much sooner, 2022, than expected. I personally want to thank you because this year they are not dumping, we are doing much better, my wife is not yelling at me as much. [laughter] mr. Hrobak she said you are going to be at the president talking, i said i dont care, i am proud of who i am. I am a licensed charter boat captain and i have done it since i was 25 years old. And i just want to say thank you for the opportunity to speak and thank you for everything that you are doing, sir. Speak for so many people. You bring my heart to warmth for everything youre doing. All the way around. [applause] mr. Hrobak and sir, my nephew, thank you all. My nephew is like my son. He is in south korea right now in the army and he is doing things. He is so proud of you and those boys, they all just i have never seen people that are so proud of our president and i just, im amazed. We stayed up to watch you when you got elected. We were like hes got it, hes got it. Im sorry, im telling the truth. [applause] mr. Hrobak my dad taught me dont tell no lies. When you want me to shut up, i will. Im felling the truth. Thank you very much. He sounded a little like donald trump, but you are much handsomer. Thank you so much. [applause] mr. Hrobak you have no idea how many people appreciate how much you have done. And i want to say one final thing. I have a big mouth. God bless america and god bless our president. Give him a hand. Trump 2020. [applause] pres. Trump thank you. Wow. Well, that was unexpected. We appreciate it, bruce. Thats better than any speechwriter i could get. Who am i going to get like that . I appreciate it, thank you. Thank you very much. Earlier this year, i also signed the save our seas act to protect our oceans from waste and pollution. To improve water access worldwide, we are supporting the development of Breakthrough Technologies with the department of energys water security grant challenge. My administration is strongly promoting Bipartisan Solutions for conservation and we are really getting along very well with the democrats on that one, we are getting things done. This year i signed the largest public land package in a decade, designating 1. 3 million acres thats a lot of land, of new wilderness and expanding recreational access. In december, i signed a historic executive order promoting much more active Forest Management to prevent catastrophic wildfires like those that recently devastated california and oregon. [applause] pres. Trump i went to the fires in california and i said it is also management. It is a lot of things happening but it is management. You cannot have dirty floors, you cannot have 20 years of leaves and fallen trees. After the first 17 months they say the tree is like a piece of tinder. You have to be very careful. You cant have that, that is why you have so many fires. I spoke with the governor of california, spoke with many people in the process of cleaning is now really taking a lot of people are looking at Forest Management. It is a word people did not understand last year and now they are getting it. You dont have to have any forest fires. It is interesting, i spoke to certain countries and they said, sir, we are a forest nation. I never thought of a country wellknown countries. We are a forest nation. I never heard of the term forest nation. They live in forest. And they dont have problems. One was telling me his trees are much more susceptible to fire than what they have in california but they dont have fires because they manage, they clean, they do what you have to do. There is not so much to burn. And we are going to start doing that. And it is called, remember, management, it is called Forest Management. It is a very important term. When i went to california they scoffed at me for the first two, three weeks, not so much four weeks. And after five weeks they said, you know, he is right. He is right. So, i think you are going to see a lot of good things. It is a lot of area, a lot of land, but a lot of tremendous things are happening. We are joined today by colleen roberts, a county commissioner from jackson county, oregon. Colleen, please come up and tell us a little bit about your approach on Forest Management and all of the Community Work you have done that has been so successful, please. Thank you very much. [applause] ms. Roberts so, i want to thank our President Trump and your administration, sir, for this great opportunity to be here today and speak on this very important issue. And in support of your executive order to reduce the hazardous fuel loads in our federal forests. Jackson county in Southern Oregon comprises about 50 of federal lands to be managed by our federal agency. And Previous Administrations have allowed these lands to be mismanaged, and thus, are burdened with heavy fuel loads. Wildland fire policy is also allowing management objectives to be obtained through prescribed burnings during our fire season, is flawed. Our board has studied and successfully shared information with neighboring counties and naco, the National Association of co