Obama cites ‘Let’s Move’ in California drought remarks
February 18, 2014 | 11:54 AM
President Barack Obama noted First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign during remarks to a roundtable of California leaders on Friday, and alluded to the fact that higher prices for produce due to the drought could make her goals of healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity more difficult.
In opening remarks to the roundtable, Obama said, “We’re all equally dependent upon California producers for so many of your products in our lives.”
“As you know, Michelle wants us to use more of your products, not less. In fact, I think her ‘Let’s Move’ initiative has met with some of the producers to talk about how we can get our kids eating more produce, more nuts, more healthy foods. And because of the huge economic impact of what you do not just on California but the nation overall, there is a national concern around the drought that is facing California.”
Obama also noted how difficult water politics in California has been and said he had joked about it with Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat.
“I told the governor I’m not going to wade into this because I want to get out of here alive on Valentine’s Day,” the president said. “So my goal today and I think my administration’s goal generally is to try to facilitate and work with a whole range of stakeholders at the local level and see how we can find common ground to point to a new direction moving forward.”
The White House also released a video of President Obama discussing the drought.
