Obamas honor U.S. troops' "courage and dedication" during holidays
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama honored U.S. troops in their weekly address released on Saturday morning.
The first lady, in the video released on Christmas Eve, said that the holiday’s values include treating others are we would want to be treated, caring for the sick and hungry and welcoming strangers no matter where they come from or their faith.
“Those are values that help guide not just my family’s Christian faith, but that of Jewish Americans, and Muslim Americans; nonbelievers and Americans of all backgrounds. And no one better embodies that spirit of service than the men and women who wear our country’s uniform and their families,” the president said.
Mr. Obama acknowledged that many U.S. troops are far from home on Christmas and that their “courage and dedication allow the rest of us to enjoy this season.”
He added that the greatest gift he and his wife received was being able to serve as the president and first lady and touted all of the progress made under his administration.
“Together, we fought our way back from the worst recession in 80 years, and got unemployment to a nine-year low,” he said. “We secured health insurance for another twenty million Americans, and new protections for folks who already had insurance. We made America more respected around the world, took on the mantle of leadership in the fight to protect this planet for our kids, and much, much more.”
In the GOP’s weekly address, Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania discussed mental health issues and the sweeping bill the president recently signed into law that will improve mental health services.
“As a practicing psychologist, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for families to navigate our broken mental health system,” Murphy said. “Outdated laws prevent the families and caregivers from being a part of the treatment team—too often this has fatal consequences. We need treatment before tragedy, and care before crisis.”
“With this new law, we are finally breaking down the wall between physical health and mental health,” he continued. “Now federal agencies will be moving from vague feel-good programs to ones that emphasize evidence-based care for those at the highest risk.”