Secretary Kerry Introducing President of the United States Barack Obama at the Our Ocean Conference

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. I told them I didn't need a voice-of-God introduction, but -- (laughter.) We're learning in government it's hard to get things going. It's also hard to stop things. (Laughter.)

It's my great privilege to introduce to all of you my boss, for whom I have the greatest respect for many reasons, but above all his commitment to the environment is unsurpassed. And he is -- through his Climate Action Plan, he is changing the way the United States powers our economy. And over the course of his presidency he's taken very ambitious steps to cut pollution from the largest sources, from cars and trucks and buildings and power plants. And I think as many of you know, recently he just set aside -- as our British friend mentioned -- the creation of the world's largest marine preserve, an area twice the size of the state of Texas. And this morning he officially designated -- I'm sure he'll talk about it -- another marine national monument in the Atlantic.

President Obama, as all of you know, was born in one island in the Pacific, Hawaii, and raised in another, and therefore I am convinced has a very special connection to what we are doing here today. And above all, he is also a parent and cares enormously about the future and made a pledge that he was going to try to leave this beautiful planet we live on in better shape when he leaves than the way he found it. And I think he's doing that. He's set aside more land, more water area than any president in the history of the United States.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome please the President of the United States Barack Obama. (Applause.)

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