{"id":61522,"date":"2018-06-18T20:40:27","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T03:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=61522"},"modified":"2018-06-18T20:40:27","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T03:40:27","slug":"president-trump-at-a-meeting-with-the-national-space-council-and-signing-of-space-policy-directive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=61522","title":{"rendered":"President Trump at a Meeting with the National Space Council and Signing of Space Policy Directive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you very much.  This is an incredible time for our country.  I would say that our economy \u2014 and many of you know that very well \u2014 is doing better than it ever has done.  Our employment numbers are the best that they\u2019ve been, perhaps ever, but certainly in recorded history.  Reports just came out \u2014 best in 44 years.  Black unemployment is the lowest level in history.  Hispanic unemployment, lowest level in history.  Women unemployment, lowest level in 21 years.  It started at 19, went up to 20; now it\u2019s up to 21.  Very soon it\u2019s going to be in history.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oPo5JcMiiuo\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re doing numbers like we\u2019ve never seen, and we have some of the great industry leaders here today who I\u2019m going to be introducing in a little while, quickly.  And they\u2019re going to do so much with NASA and so many of the great things we\u2019re doing.  But they understand full well what\u2019s happening.  We\u2019ve never seen a period of time like this.  The whole world is looking up to the United States, and the United States is respected again.  There was a period of time we were not so respected, not so long ago.  The United States is respected again.<\/p>\n<p>If I might, I just wanted to make a brief statement on immigration and what\u2019s happening.  And I\u2019ll say it very honestly and I\u2019ll say it very straight: Immigration is the fault, and all of the problems that we\u2019re having \u2014 because we cannot get them to sign legislation; we cannot get them even to the negotiating table.  And I say it\u2019s, very strongly, the Democrats\u2019 fault.  They\u2019re obstructing.  They\u2019re really obstructionists.  And they are obstructing.<\/p>\n<p>The United States will not be a migrant camp and it will not be a refugee holding facility.  It won\u2019t be.  If you look at what\u2019s happening in Europe, if you look at what\u2019s happening in other places, we can\u2019t allow that to happen to the United States \u2014 not on my watch.<\/p>\n<p>For the rest of the world, you look at everything that\u2019s taking place \u2014 pick up your newspapers this morning and you see.  We want safety and we want security for our country.  If the Democrats would sit down instead of obstructing, we could have something done very quickly \u2014 good for the children, good for country, good for the world.  It could take place quickly.<\/p>\n<p>We could have an immigration bill.  We could have \u2014 child separation \u2014 we\u2019re stuck with these horrible laws.  They\u2019re horrible laws.  What\u2019s happening is so sad \u2014 is so sad.  And it can be taken care of quickly, beautifully, and we\u2019ll have safety.<\/p>\n<p>This could really be something very special.  It could be something maybe even for the world to watch \u2014 just like they\u2019re watching our great economy, how it\u2019s soaring.  They could watch this.<\/p>\n<p>We have the worst immigration laws in the entire world.  Nobody has such sad, such bad, and actually, in many cases, such horrible and tough.  You see about child separation; you see what\u2019s going on there.<\/p>\n<p>But just remember, a country without borders is not a country at all.  We need borders.  We need security.  We need safety.  We have to take care of our people.  You take a look at the death and destruction that\u2019s been caused by people coming into this country, without going through a process.  We want a merit-based immigration system so that Boeing and Lockheed and all of the people \u2014 Grumman \u2014 all of the people that are here today, the heads of every company, so that you can hire people on a merit-based \u2014 you know they\u2019re coming in \u2014 they\u2019re people that came on merit, not based on a lottery, or not people that snuck across the border.  And they could be murderers and thieves and so much else.<\/p>\n<p>So we want a safe country, and it starts with the borders.  And that\u2019s the way it is.<\/p>\n<p>Now I\u2019d like to \u2014 (applause) \u2014 thank you.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>And again, we can do this very quickly if the Democrats come to the table.  Everybody wants to do it.  We want to do it more than they do.  If they come to the table, instead of playing politics, we can do it very, very quickly.<\/p>\n<p>So welcome to the third meeting of the National Space Council.  I want to begin by recognizing our great Vice President, Mike Pence, who\u2019s been so involved.  And, Mike, I want to thank you for the incredible commitment to American leadership in space.<\/p>\n<p>I also want to thank Secretary Wilbur Ross, Secretary Elaine Chao, Director Mulvaney, Director Coats, Administrator Bridenstine \u2014 and congratulations, wherever you are.  Where is he?  Where is he?  Congratulations.  You better do a good job.  (Laughter.)  I\u2019ll say you\u2019re fired in two minutes.  (Applause.)  You have a lot of support, and you\u2019ve loved this right from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>ADMINISTRATOR BRIDENSTINE:  Yes, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  He was in Congress.  He did an awfully good job, but this was his love.  Right?<\/p>\n<p>ADMINISTRATOR BRIDENSTINE:  Yes, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So good luck.  Secretary Wilson, General Dunford, Undersecretary Thompson, Deputy Secretary Shanahan, and Acting Deputy Secretary Grady for being here today.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re honored to be joined by Congressmen Robert Aderholt, Brian Babin, and Dana Rohrabacher.  Stand up, Congressmen.  Please.  Please.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  And a special welcome to a strong, powerful, wonderful woman.  Does a great job as governor of one of my favorite places in the world, Alabama \u2014 Kay Ivey.  Kay.  (Applause.)  Am I doing okay in Alabama?<\/p>\n<p>PARTICIPANT:  Yes, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I better do okay in Alabama.  We love Alabama.<\/p>\n<p>I also want to recognize three true American heroes.  The first woman to command a Space Shuttle, the great Eileen Collins.  Stand up, Eileen.  (Applause.)  Great job.  Great job.  That\u2019s a lot of time in space.  Along with legendary Apollo astronauts Jack Schmitt and Buzz Aldrin.  Buzz has been a friend of mine for a long time.  Jack, thank you very much.  Thank you.  Great.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And I also have a list of some of the CEOs and chairmen and presidents of these incredible companies.  Wes Bush, CEO of Northrup Grumman.  Where\u2019s Wes?  Wes, thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you, Wes.  Gwynne Shotwell.  Gwynne?  Stand up, Gwynne.  She\u2019ll end up running for office.  Right?  (Applause.)  Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, who\u2019s very active.  Thank you, Bob.  I hear you\u2019re doing a great job.  (Applause.)  President and CEO, United Launch Alliance.  That\u2019s a combination of Boeing and Lockheed on the Space Launch System, SLS.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t like when Boeing and Lockheed get together because the pricing only goes up, but that\u2019s okay in this case.  (Laughter.)  I don\u2019t know.  I don\u2019t love that stuff.  We\u2019re going to have to talk about that, your joining those two companies.  Oh.  (Laughter and applause.)  Oh, boy.  Look at Dennis.  Dennis is so happy.  I don\u2019t like that stuff, Mike.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Marillyn Hewson, who has done a fantastic job at Lockheed Martin.  Marillyn?  Marillyn.  You have done.  (Applause.)  What do you think of that merger for the space \u2014 what do you think?  Look at them; they\u2019re sitting together.  Oh.  Boeing.  (Laughter.)  Oh, it\u2019s \u2014 no wonder we don\u2019t get the pricing we want.  Huh?<\/p>\n<p>Dennis Muilenburg, friend of mine.  A great guy.  The head of Boeing.  And, boy, have you done a good job on all fronts \u2014 commercial, military.  Both of you.  What a job you\u2019ve both done.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Stay apart.  Stay apart.  Don\u2019t get together.  Stay apart.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, just a great group of other executives are here from the top companies.  And it\u2019s patriots like you that are the reason why America was first in flight, first to the moon, and why America will always be first in space.  You know, before I got here, it wasn\u2019t looking so good.  (Applause.)  Before we came in, I will tell you, they didn\u2019t have such big plans for space.  Now they have plans.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s great, not only in terms of jobs and everything else; it\u2019s great for the psyche of our country.  This morning it came out that small business is the most optimistic it\u2019s ever been in the history of our country.  That\u2019s pretty good.  Now, I don\u2019t know if they go back to 1776.  I don\u2019t know if they go back to, you know, areas of a little bit earlier, slightly, like by 100 years or 200 years.  But I will tell you, I have never seen optimism like we have right now.  So it\u2019s a very exciting time.<\/p>\n<p>I want to also say that when it comes to space, too often, for too many years, our dreams of exploration and discovery were really squandered by politics and bureaucracy, and we knocked that out.  So important for our psyche, what\u2019s you\u2019re doing.  It\u2019s going to be important monetarily and militarily.  But so important for right up here \u2014 the psyche.  We don\u2019t want China and Russia and other countries leading us.  We\u2019ve always led \u2014 we\u2019ve gone way far afield for decades now, having to do with our subject today.  We\u2019re going to be the leader by far.  We\u2019re behind you a thousand percent.<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s vital interest in space lost out to special interests in Washington, except, of course, for the senators and congressmen here.  They would never do it.  Right, Dana?<\/p>\n<p>But all of that is changing.  We know that.  My administration is reclaiming America\u2019s heritage as the world\u2019s greatest space-faring nation.  The essence of the American character is to explore new horizons and to tame new frontiers.  But our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity, but a matter of national security.  So important for our military.  So important.  And people don\u2019t talk about it.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space.  We must have American dominance in space.  So important.<\/p>\n<p>Very importantly, I\u2019m here by directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.  That\u2019s a big statement.<\/p>\n<p>We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to have the Space Force \u2014 separate but equal.  It is going to be something.  So important.  General Dunford, if you would carry that assignment out, I would be very greatly honored, also.  Where\u2019s General Dunford?  General?  Got it?<\/p>\n<p>GENERAL DUNFORD:  We got it.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Let\u2019s go get it, General.  (Applause.)  But that\u2019s the importance that we give it.  We\u2019re going to have the Space Force.<\/p>\n<p>One year ago, I revived the National Space Council and put exactly the right man in charge, and that\u2019s our friend, Mike Pence.  He feels very strongly about this.  And in December, I signed a historic directive that will return Americans to the moon for the first time since 1972, if you can believe that.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Always remembering it\u2019s about that, but it\u2019s also about jobs and the economy.  This is a great thing we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p>This time, we will do more than plant our flag and leave our footprints.  We will establish a long-term presence, expand our economy, and build the foundation for the eventual mission to Mars \u2014 which is actually going to happen very quickly.  And, you know, I\u2019ve always said that rich guys seem to like rockets.  So all of those rich guys that are dying for our real estate to launch their rockets, we won\u2019t charge you too much.  Just go ahead.  If you beat us to Mars, we\u2019ll be very happy and you\u2019ll be even more famous.  But they do like \u2014 explain that.  Where\u2019s Eric?  They do like rockets, for some reason, huh?  They like those rockets.<\/p>\n<p>But you know what?  If \u2014 as long as he\u2019s \u2014 as long as it\u2019s an American rich person, that\u2019s good.  Okay?  (Laughter.)  They can beat us.  (Applause.)  We\u2019ll save a little money, and they can beat us and we\u2019re taking full credit for it.  Don\u2019t worry about it.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019ll be setting aggressive timelines, challenging old ways of doing business, and we will be expecting real results.  And we are making our incredible facilities \u2014 okay? \u2014 available to these people that have been doing so incredibly by themselves on rocketry.  So you\u2019re invited.  The rent won\u2019t be high.<\/p>\n<p>I am instructing my administration to embrace the budding commercial space industry.  We are modernizing out-of-date space regulations.  They\u2019re way out of date.  They haven\u2019t been changed in many, many years.  And today we\u2019re taking one more step to unleash the power of American ingenuity.  In a few moments, I will sign a new directive to federal departments and agencies.  They will work together with American industry to implement a state-of-the-art framework for space traffic management.  But don\u2019t let it get too out of control, please.  We know about what\u2019s going on with a lot of other rules and regulations.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, we\u2019ve set the all-time record in history of this country in cutting regulation.  So when I hear about that, I get a little bit \u2014 (applause) \u2014 a little bit tenuous.  Be careful.  Don\u2019t get too carried away.<\/p>\n<p>But we have.  We\u2019ve cut more regulations than any administration, whether it\u2019s four years, eight years, or sixteen years, in one case.  We\u2019ve cut more regulations than any other President in history.  And I actually think that, along with the massive tax cuts, I think that the regulation cutting may have even had more of an impact on the economy.  It\u2019s been incredible.<\/p>\n<p>We have regulation.  We have a lot of regulation.  We have good regulation.  But you don\u2019t need 20 years to get rejected from building a highway.  We can reject you in two years or one year.  We have it down from seventeen years, down to two.  We expect to get it down to one.  And if it\u2019s not good, we\u2019re going to reject.  But it\u2019s going to be a fast rejection.  You\u2019re not going to go an entire lifetime only to find it\u2019s not going to be built.<\/p>\n<p>Two previous administrations tried and failed to develop a system to deal with congested conditions in orbit.  We are finally going to get it done.  It\u2019s going to happen fast.  One year from now, our nation will mark an important milestone in human history: half a century since Americans first stepped off the Eagle and onto the moon.  That was a big \u2014 that was a big day.  Right?<\/p>\n<p>In that magnificent moment, the American astronaut embodied the incredible spirit of America: the confidence of a cowboy, the skill of a fighter pilot, the ambition of a scientist, and the courage of a true, true, brilliant, tough warrior.  They bounded fearlessly into the unknown to be there first.  They did the impossible because they knew that, together, there is absolutely nothing Americans can\u2019t do.  When we get together, there\u2019s nobody even close.<\/p>\n<p>Now we are ready to begin the next great chapter of American space exploration.  This is a very important day.  This is a very important gathering.  A new generation of young people seeks to challenge \u2014 really challenge hard \u2014 to get their talent and their skill to work.  And now we\u2019re giving them a forum and a platform from which they can put that genius to work.<\/p>\n<p>Legions of welders and metalworkers, scientists and engineers stand ready to build a powerful new rocket and gleaming new spaceships.  And that goes with all of the other things that we\u2019re building in our country.<\/p>\n<p>Our nation of pioneers still yearns to conquer the unknown, because we are Americans and the future belongs totally to us.  Once more, we will launch intrepid souls blazing through the sky and soaring into the heavens.  Once more, we will summon the American spirit to tame the next great American frontier.  And once more, we will proudly lead humanity \u2014 and that\u2019s what it is, it\u2019s humanity \u2014 beyond the Earth and into those forbidden skies, but they will not be forbidden for long.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re very important people.  You have a great, great contribution.  What you\u2019re doing has been incredible, but it will be even more incredible \u2014 far more incredible \u2014 because we are giving you a platform, the likes of which nobody has ever been given before.  I am a big believer.  You will go out there and you will take that frontier, which is largely unknown by man or woman, and you will learn everything there is to know about it.  And what you\u2019re doing is so important \u2014 remember \u2014 economically, militarily, scientifically.  In every way, there is no place like space.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck, General Dunford and the Joint Chiefs.  I want to wish you a lot of luck with Space Force.  But that shows how important it is.  Congratulations on your tremendous success, but you\u2019re going to have far more success right now.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, Mike.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Okay, everybody.  Here\u2019s a big one.  Right?  Would anybody like me not to sign this?  (Laughter.)  Is there anybody in this room?  They would be in big trouble, I think.<\/p>\n<p>(The directive is signed.)  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, everybody.  I have a few pens.  Pass them around.  Okay.  Thank you very much, everybody.  Congratulations.  Great day.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you very much. This is an incredible time for our country. I would say that our economy \u2014 and many of you know that very well \u2014 is doing better than it ever has done. Our employment numbers are the best that they\u2019ve been, perhaps ever, but certainly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Fullscreen-capture-6182018-83522-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/61524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}